WALES

Departmental Consultants

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many external consultants work for his Department.

Paul Murphy: None.

Departmental Land

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much surplus land his Department owns; and what the  (a) area and  (b) estimated monetary value of each site is.

Paul Murphy: None.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many full-time equivalent staff in his Department assist special advisers; and what the cost of employing such staff was in each of the last three years.

Paul Murphy: None.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Portcullis House: Repairs and Maintenance

Michael Fabricant: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission on what percentage of sitting days in the last 12 months have  (a) one and  (b) both water features in the Portcullis House Atrium been out of operation; for what reason the water features have not been in operation; what steps have been taken to restore them to working order; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: Both Portcullis House Atrium water features were out of service for one sitting day during the last 12 months on 10 November 2008, which represents 0.67 per cent. of sitting days. The water features were decommissioned for routine maintenance and repairs over the weekend of 8 and 9 November and the contractor failed to recommission them at the prescribed time, prior to the start of business on 10 November.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Written Questions

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many Questions for written answer were tabled to him in Session  (a) 2002-03,  (b) 2003-04,  (c) 2004-05,  (d) 2005-06,  (e) 2006-07 and  (f) 2007-08 to date; and how many were (i) answered substantively and (ii) not answered on grounds of disproportionate cost.

Ann McKechin: Details are as follows:
	
		
			  Session  Number of written PQs table d  Number not fully answered on grounds of disproportionate cost  Number answered half factually and half at disproportionate cost 
			 2002-03 128 1 0 
			 2003-04 121 0 2 
			 2004-05 120 0 3 
			 2005-06 185 1 2 
			 2006-07 258 1 1 
			 2007-08(1) 381 0 2 
			 (1) Until 31 October 2008

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Committees

Grant Shapps: To ask the Leader of the House what estimate she has made of the annual cost of the proposed (a) regional Select Committees and  (b) regional Grand Committees, including remuneration for Committee Chairs.

Chris Bryant: The House of Commons Management Board has produced estimated costs of regional select committees, which were distributed in the Vote Office in advance of the debate in the House on 12 November, as an Explanatory Memorandum relating to the Government's motions.
	The House decided on 12 November that there should be no pay for regional Select Committee Chairs.
	The estimated costs, excluding pay for Select Committee Chairmen, are as follows:
	 (a) select committees: £924,348
	 (b) grand committees: £312,080

Departmental Written Questions

Nick Gibb: To ask the Leader of the House how many Questions for written answer were tabled to her and her predecessors in Session  (a) 2002-03,  (b) 2003-04,  (c) 2004-05,  (d) 2005-06,  (e) 2006-07 and  (f) 2007-08 to date; and how many were (i) answered substantively and (ii) not answered on grounds of disproportionate cost.

Chris Bryant: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  Session  Total number of questions answered  Number of questions where whole or part of the answer could not be provided due to disproportionate cost 
			 2002-03 146 8 
			 2003-04 106 3 
			 2004-05 53 0 
			 2005-06 261 3 
			 2006-07 205 9 
			 2007-08 (to date) 228 11

Early-Day Motions

David Taylor: To ask the Leader of the House what recent assessment she has made of the methods by which hon. Members may add their names to early-day motions.

Chris Bryant: Hon. Members may add their names to an early-day motion by signing a copy of the motion or a piece of paper with the EDM number; by asking another hon. Member to sign on their behalf; or by asking in person in the Table Office for their name to be added.
	The Procedure Committee recommended in May 2007 that there should be no move towards the electronic tabling of early-day motions without significantly stronger authentication than is currently required for parliamentary questions (First Report of 2006-07, HC 513, paragraphs 93 to 96).
	The House endorsed this approach in its debate on the Committee's Report on 25 October 2007.
	The Procedure Committee is currently considering the issue of authentication as part of its inquiry into written questions.

Parliamentary Questions

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Leader of the House if she will bring forward proposals to allow hon. Members to table no more than one Question for oral Answer to each Department which answers substantive and topical Questions in respect of each answering day.

Chris Bryant: I have no current plans to do so but I will keep the operation of topical questions under review.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Arts Council England: Employment Agencies

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much Arts Council England spent on recruitment consultants in each of the last five years; and which companies provided these services.

Barbara Follett: Arts Council England has provided the information in the table for spend on recruitment consultants.
	
		
			  Cost of  recruitment consultants 
			   £ 
			 2003-04 141,381 
			 2004-05 108,366 
			 2005-06 77,669 
			 2006-07 189,733 
			 2007-08 190,027 
			 Total 707,176 
		
	
	The recruitment consultants used by Arts Council England were: Adept Recruitment, AEM International, Accountancy Addit, Advantage Placement, Anderson Leigh Associates, Ann Pettengell Gold Helm Ltd, Badenoch and Clark, Barkers Human Resources, Brand Recruitment Ltd, Buckley Prichard International Ltd, Capita Resourcing Ltd, Crystal UK Ltd, Eden Brown, Eventus Ltd, Facilities Recruitment Limited, Hays, HR Resourcing, Hudson Global Resources, Huntress Search Ltd, International Resources Group, JR Personnel, Key Personnel, Law Absolute, Macmillan Davies, Michael Page UK, Northern Recruitment Group PLC, Office Angels Ltd, Pan European Recruitment, Payroll Partnerships, Pure Resourcing Solutions, Robert Half Ltd, Roberts Knight SE, Select Appointments plc, Solutions Recruitment, Spherion UK, Synergy, Tate Appointments, The ID Group Ltd, The Principle Partnership, TFPL, Volt Europe.

Departmental Internet

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport for which Government websites his Department are responsible; how many visitors each received in the last period for which figures are available; and what the cost of maintaining each site was in that period.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) Visitor figures for the period 2007-08 were supplied in my answer to the hon. Member for North East Hertfordshire the (Mr. Heald) on 17 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 8-10W. Visitor figures for Breakout site are counted in the Culture (main departmental) website figures.
	 (b) Maintenance costs for DCMS websites are covered under one contract. In 2007-08 this figure was £8,741. in addition £4,800 was spent on editorial costs for the Breakout minisite.

English Heritage: Planning

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which planning applications for renewable energy projects English Heritage have objected to in the last five years.

Barbara Follett: English Heritage has a statutory role in the planning process to provide advice to local authorities on planning applications that impact on the historic environment. English Heritage is consulted on approximately 16,000 planning cases a year. Since May 2004, English Heritage estimates it has been consulted on approximately 100 renewable energy projects and has raised concerns about just over 20 of these. Figures prior to this period are available only at disproportionate cost. The projects are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Region  Formal applications consulted on  Number for which concerns raised  Project 
			 Yorkshire 41 5 Ivy House, Rectory Road, Roos, East Riding 
			Hall Farm, Routh, East Riding 
			Chelker Reservoir, Craven, North Yorks 
			Brightenber Hill, Skipton, Craven, North Yorks 
			Grange Wind Farm, Flixborough Grange, North Lincs 
			 North West 4 2 Brownrigg Hall, Allonby, Allerdale, Cumbria 
			Howes Farm, Skelton, Cumbria 
			 
			 North East 11 4 Green Rigg Fell, Ray Farm and Steadings, Tyneside (originally a single application but effectively became three interlinking schemes) 
			Kiln Pit Hill, Tyneside 
			 
			 East Midlands 8 3 Thackson's Well Wind Farm, Long Bennington, South Kesteven, Lincs 
			Ellands Farm, Barnwell Road, Hemington, East Northants 
			Swinford Farm, Stanford, Leics 
			 
			 West Midlands 3 1 Lower Farm, Bearstone, Market Drayton, Shrops 
			 
			 South East 6 2 North Downs Wind Farm, Langdon, Dover 
			Gas Pressure Reducing Station, Juggs Road, Kingston Near Lewes, East Sussex 
			 
			 East of England 15 3 Bradwell Wind Farm 
			Hemsby, Yarmouth 
			Nr Toseland Hall, Cambs 
			 
			 South West 13 2 Batsworthy Cross, Knowstone, North Devon 
			Morwenstow, North Cornwall 
			 
			 London 0 0 — 
			 Total 101 22 —

English Heritage: Planning

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the policy is of English Heritage on planning applications for renewable energy projects.

Barbara Follett: English Heritage has a statutory role in the planning process to provide advice to local authorities on planning applications that impact on the historic environment. Within that context, English Heritage is supportive of renewable energy projects. It has been successfully encouraging pre-application discussion for all development proposals, including for renewable energy schemes, with the aim of ensuring that by the time a formal application is submitted, it takes full account of the historic environment and is therefore more likely to be successful.

Public Libraries

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many public libraries have opened in the last 10 years.

Barbara Follett: Information on the number of public library openings is not held centrally. But the data on the number of libraries open more than 10 hours is collected as part of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), Public Library Statistics. Therefore, the only way to obtain an accurate figure for the balance between library openings and closures is to consider the CIPFA statistics over this period, copies of which are available in the House Library.
	In 1996-97, 3,572 libraries were open more than 10 hours. In 2006-07, 3,494 libraries were open more than 10 hours, a net difference of 78.

Racial Harassment

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many complaints of racial abuse relating to staff for which his Department is responsible have been  (a) investigated and  (b) upheld in the last 12 months.

Gerry Sutcliffe: There have been no complaints of racial abuse relating to DCMS staff in the last 12 months.

Television: Licensing

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many pensioners in Enfield North constituency received a free television licence in each year since the introduction of the scheme.

Andy Burnham: TV Licensing, which administers free television licences for people aged 75 or over as agents for the BBC, is not able to provide geographical breakdowns of the number of free licences issued.

Television: Licensing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what powers the Television Licensing Authority has to instruct bailiffs to collect unpaid television licence fees.

Andy Burnham: The Television Licensing Authority does not have powers to instruct bailiffs to collect unpaid television licence fees.

OLYMPICS

Departmental Buildings

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Olympics pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend East of 6 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 635W, on departmental buildings, what the cost of this refurbishment was.

Tessa Jowell: The rooms in 26 Whitehall were redecorated as part of the redecoration programme covering the whole of the building (26 Whitehall). Further additional costs specifically relating to the relocation into the building by the Office of the Minister for the Olympics were incurred to a value of £8,485 plus VAT.
	Since then, my office has moved to co-locate with officials from the Government Olympic Executive in 2-4 Cockspur street to enable more integrated and efficient work. Here a new office was constructed and furnished between July and September 2008, at a cost of £40,625 plus VAT. These costs cover both my own ministerial office and that occupied by my private office.

Members: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Minister for the Olympics when she plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall North of 30 September 2008 regarding a constituent.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 10 November 2008
	 A letter of response has been sent to the hon. Member for Walsall, North today.

Olympic Games 2012: Caravan Sites

David Amess: To ask the Minister for the Olympics 
	(1)  what steps she  (a) has taken and  (b) plans to take to provide stop-overs for caravans on (i) the M20 and (ii) other routes from Channel ports to the Olympic venues; what recent representations she has received on this issue; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what steps she  (a) has taken and  (b) plans to take to provide campsites to cater for caravans, motor caravans and trailer tents for persons attending the Olympic Games in 2012; what recent representations she has received on this issue; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  what recent discussions she has had with the Caravan Club about the provision of caravan sites for those attending the Olympic Games in 2012; and if she will make a statement;
	(4)  what discussions she has had since January 2008 with  (a) the Mayor of London and  (b) Transport for London on the provision of caravan sites for those attending the Olympic Games in 2012; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: Along with the Greater London Authority, Transport for London and others the Government will be considering visitor plans as host city for the games.
	We recognise that motor home and caravan users may wish to visit the UK for the 2012 games. The Olympic Delivery Authority has had initial discussions with the Caravan Club about existing and possible caravan sites with a view to considering how the provision of public transport and licensed sites can be integrated for 2012.

Olympic Games 2012: Contracts

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister for the Olympics which contractors have won landscaping contracts for the London 2012 Olympics; in which  (a) country and  (b) county each is based; and what proportion of landscaping work on the site has been awarded to each.

Tessa Jowell: The landscaping management contract for the north of the Olympic Park has been awarded to BAM Nuttall Ltd., a UK-based company with offices in Surrey.
	The contract covers approximately 42 hectares of hard and soft landscaping works on the Olympic Park. It is worth noting that this award provides for the Tier 1 management function only; the tier 2 works packages are yet to be let by BAM Nuttall and will offer the landscape industry further London 2012 opportunities.
	The landscaping contract for the south of the Olympic Park is due to be awarded in 2009.

Olympic Games 2012: Contracts

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what  (a) environmental and  (b) other criteria were considered in deciding on the bids for landscaping contracts for the London 2012 Olympics.

Tessa Jowell: The North Park has been evaluated to date and environmental considerations taken into account in the selection of BAM Nuttall Ltd. as contractor for management of delivery the North Park.
	The evaluation criteria used to award that contact fall under two main headings of Commercial and Technical. Under these two headings, the Technical evaluation is further broken down to consider Quality and Functionality, Experience and Capability and Project Delivery whilst the Commercial evaluation is further broken down to consider Price and acceptance of Contractual Terms.
	Tier 2 works packages are yet to be let by BAM Nuttall and will be evaluated under ODA criteria for inclusion, equality and diversity, environment, and sustainability.

Olympic Games 2012: Finance

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what outstanding requests from the Olympics Delivery Authority for resources from contingency funding are under consideration; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 23 October 2008
	The next London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games Annual Report will be produced in January and will include fully updated financial information, including the outcomes of agreed contingency requests. Thereafter, we will publish a quarterly financial update which will include any changes to published budgets.

Olympic Games 2012: Finance

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics pursuant to the answer of 27 October 2008,  Official Report, column 690W, on Olympic Games: finance, how much is to be given to each Home Country Sports Council; and to what types of projects the money will be allocated.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 3 November 2008
	 I have been asked to reply.
	The Home Country Sports Councils' contribution of £290 million to elite and community sport as part of the overall Olympic budget is from their existing national lottery resources.
	It is for the Home Country Sports Councils to determine how this money is spent on support for elite athletes and coaches, facilities for elite and community use, and community sport programmes. Sport England, for example, have provided funding for the Lee Valley Athletics Centre, which is used by the local community and elite athletes, contributing to our world class performance goals as well as to the legacy goal of getting 2 million people more active by 2012, including 1 million through sport.

Performance Appraisal

David Simpson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many staff for whom she is responsible did not achieve an acceptable assessment grade in their annual report in the latest reporting year for which figures are available.

Tessa Jowell: None.

Racial Harassment

David Simpson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many complaints of racial abuse relating to staff for which her Office is responsible have been  (a) investigated and  (b) upheld in the last 12 months.

Tessa Jowell: There have been no complaints of racial abuse investigated or upheld in relation to any of my staff in the last 12 months.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Older Workers

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people over the age of  (a) 55 and  (b) 60 were recruited to his Department in the last 12 months; and what percentage of all recruits this represented in each case.

Paul Goggins: Of the 58 people recruited to the Northern Ireland Office in the last 12 months, one (1.7 per cent.) has been aged between 55 and 60 years of age. None has been over the age of 60.
	Until recently, age requirements for appointment to the Civil Service were that appointees should have reached the age of 16 on or before 1 July prior to the date of appointment, and be less than 65 years of age at the date of appointment. This policy has recently been reviewed and, with effect from 1 September 2008, there is no longer an upper age limit for appointees.

Departmental Sick Leave

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the number of hours of work lost through sickness absence on the part of staff working in his Department in the last 12 months.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office records sickness absence in days and not in hours; the estimated figure relating to working days lost by NIO staff for the 12 month period from 1 October 2007 to 30 September 2008 is 15,287.57 days.

Drugs: Crime

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of measures to combat drug-related crime in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: Drug misuse in Northern Ireland, which has a lower incidence of Class A drug use than elsewhere in the UK, is falling. However, Government take the harm caused by drugs very seriously and will continue to prioritise the targeting of criminal gangs involved in the supply of illegal drugs.
	The PSNI is committed to building on recent successes in disrupting the supply of drugs in Northern Ireland with an increased number of significant arrests and seizures. During 2007-08 the PSNI were responsible for frustrating, disrupting and dismantling 58 crime gangs involved in importing drugs into Northern Ireland and supplying them onto the streets. The PSNI and NIO work in partnership with devolved Departments, agencies and community and voluntary organisations to tackle alcohol and drug misuse, as part of the DHSSPS 'New Strategic Direction for Dugs and Alcohol'.
	Tackling the supply and sale of illegal drugs in Northern Ireland is a key priority for the Organised Crime Task Force (OCTF). OCTF partners work closely together with their counterparts in the rest of the UK and the Republic of Ireland to tackle the scourge of drugs. Government's focus is on closing down the supply chain and stopping drugs reaching our streets.
	Since the beginning of 2008 the PSNI have uncovered 77 cannabis factories; as a result of these operations, drugs to the value of £15.5 million have been seized and 72 people charged.

Olympic Games 2012

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with the  (a) First Minister and  (b) Deputy First Minister on Northern Ireland's contribution to the 2012 Olympics.

Shaun Woodward: I have had had no recent discussions with the First and Deputy First Ministers on this matter.

Plain English

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department has spent on Plain English Campaign training courses in each year since 2005.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office has not commissioned or delivered Plain English Campaign courses from 2005 to date.

Saville Inquiry

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much the Saville Inquiry has cost to date; and how much it is expected to cost.

Shaun Woodward: I am advised that the cost of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry is £184.9 million up to the end of October 2008. The Inquiry's most recent estimate of the final cost is £191 million. The Inquiry is working with the Northern Ireland Office to introduce additional measures controlling future costs as a matter of urgency. If this estimate alters, I undertake to notify the House.

TRANSPORT

Airports: Construction

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's planned spend on matters related to the expansion of Heathrow and Stansted airports is in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The 2003 Future of Air Transport White Paper made clear that the Government would not fund airport development. That would be the responsibility of the airport operator. However, we are committed to the delivery of the policies in the White Paper and for 2008-09 our non-staff costs for Heathrow and Stansted expansion related work is budgeted at £1.5 million. This includes provision for follow-up work to the "Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport" consultation exercise and preparation for the Department's potential involvement in the Stansted second runway planning inquiry.
	Resources for subsequent years are currently the subject of internal business planning which will take account of the latest position on developments with both airports.

Aviation

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what the average number of passengers on internal flights within Great Britain in the last period for which figures are available is, expressed  (a) in passenger numbers and  (b) as a percentage of passenger-carrying capacity;
	(2)  how many internal flights within Great Britain there were in 2007; and what estimate he has made of the overall number of passengers who travelled on such flights.

Jim Fitzpatrick: In 2007, there were 293,000 passenger flights departing airports in Great Britain to fly to another airport in Great Britain. These flights carried 17.2 million passengers. This equates to an average of 59 passengers per flight, equivalent to 64 per cent. of estimated seat capacity.

Aviation: Certification

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many type approval certificates for aircraft were issued by the Civil Aviation Authority in each of the last three years;
	(2)  what the average time taken for the Civil Aviation Authority to give type approval for usage to an aircraft has been in the last three years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Under EC Regulation 216/2008 the type certification of the majority of aircraft manufactured or registered in EU member states is the responsibility of the European Aviation Safety Agency. This has been the position since 2003 when the agency came into being. However, certain aircraft types listed in Annex II to the regulation are not covered by the agency's remit. The aviation authority of the member state in which any such aircraft is registered remains responsible for its type certification or, in the case of aircraft not eligible for a type certificate, the approval of a permit to fly.
	The CAA has not issued any type certificates for aircraft covered by Annex II to Regulation 216/2008 in the last three years. However, the CAA has issued seven type approvals for a permit to fly in that time. The time taken to process applications for such type approvals is very much dependent on the quality of information provided by the applicant. For CAA type approvals involving a UK manufacturer, past experience shows that the average time taken for the approval process is approximately nine months.

British Railways Board (Residuary): Finance

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding his Department provided to the British Railways Residuary Board in 2008-09.

Paul Clark: As at 11 November 2008, British Railways Residuary Board Ltd. has required no funding from the Department for Transport in this financial year.

Bus Services: Concessions

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which local authorities offer free bus travel before 9.30 am to pensioners.

Paul Clark: A list of the 186 authorities in England that offered free travel before 9.30 am as at 30 June 2008 has been placed in the House Library.
	Concessionary travel schemes in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are the responsibility of the devolved administrations.

Bus Services: Concessions

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with local authorities on the provision of central Government funding to local authorities for free bus travel for pensioners.

Paul Clark: Written representations have been received from a number of local authorities but to date there have been no direct meetings. Officials have met with several local authorities, and representatives from local government are present at our regular stakeholder working groups, where funding is a regular subject for discussion.
	The Government remain confident that the total funding package of approximately £1 billion funding for statutory concessionary travel is sufficient, in total, to meet the cost to local authorities.

Congestion Performance Reward Fund

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the criteria are for making awards from the Congestion Performance Reward Fund.

Paul Clark: The Congestion Performance Fund was established to incentivise the 10 largest urban areas in England to outperform their local congestion targets.
	Reward funding is available from the fund, up to a total of £60 million over four years. The first set of payments, totalling £5 million, were made in 2007-08, reflecting the fact that areas had produced delivery plans giving confidence that their targets would be met or exceeded.
	The first set of performance-related payments was announced in 2008-09 to areas that statistically significantly exceeded their expected performance, based on 2006-07 journey time data. Areas that did not exceed their target trajectory were eligible for a reduced payment if they could demonstrate that they were actively delivering the programme of work set out in their delivery plans.
	Future payments from the fund will reflect the extent to which an area's performance data show that they are on track to do better than their local target.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority: Telephone Numbering

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority has considered changing its 084 telephone numbers for the public to 03 numbers; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has never provided public services that are accessed by use of an 084 number.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre: Databases

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many local authorities accessed records held by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency via the web enabled enquiry system in 2007-08; and for what purposes.

Jim Fitzpatrick: During the financial year 2007-08, DVLA vehicle records were accessed by 355 local authorities via the web enabled inquiry system. The purposes for the requests were for investigations into:
	Abandoned vehicles;
	Fly tipping;
	Untaxed vehicles;
	Noise nuisance as a result of the vehicle/its use;
	Dog fouling;
	Fly posting;
	Bus lane violations
	Nuisance vehicles;
	Damage to street furniture.

Electric Vehicles

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a list of attendees at the International Experts Meeting held  (a) in London on 27 October 2008 and  (b) at Millbrook, Bedfordshire on 28 October 2008.

Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
	A copy of the list of attendees at the International Experts Meeting on Electric Vehicles, held on the 27 and 28 of October 2008, will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Freedom of Information

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  when he expects his Department to complete the internal review regarding the freedom of information request E0004045; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  when he expects his Department to complete the internal review regarding the freedom of information request  (a) E0004073 and  (b) E0004295; and if he will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: These requests for an internal review of previous freedom of information decisions are being handled in accordance with departmental procedures. A decision will be reached as soon as possible, within the timescale allowed for in the Information Commissioner's guidance.

Heavy Goods Vehicles

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles heavy goods vehicles of over 3.5 tonnes travelled in Great Britain in  (a) 2006 and  (b) 2007.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Goods vehicles of over 3.5 tonnes gross weight travelled 18.1 billion vehicle miles in 2006 and 18.3 billion vehicle miles in 2007.
	Road traffic by vehicle type data are published in table 2.1 of "Road Statistics 2007: Traffic, Speeds and Congestion" annual bulletin. Copies of the bulletin have been deposited in the Libraries of the House. This table can also be found on the Department's website at the following web address:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/roadstraffic/speedscongestion/roadstatstsc/roadstats07tsc

Motor Vehicles: Crime

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent steps the Government has taken to reduce the numbers of road users who drive without valid  (a) driving licences and  (b) MOT certificates.

Jim Fitzpatrick: It is clearly important to keep unlicensed drivers and unroadworthy cars off the road—and we do all that we can to assist the police in detecting and prosecuting offenders.
	A significant step has been in providing 24-hour roadside access for the police to driver licensing information (including access to a photograph where one is available). Another followed the introduction of central computerised records of MOT test results—which means that the police can also check MOT status at the roadside. This means the police are able to identify unlicensed drivers and vehicles without a valid MOT and take appropriate action.

Motor Vehicles: Crime

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Government has taken to prosecute vehicle owners who do not have valid car tax.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) operates a comprehensive package of measures to make vehicle excise licensing easy to comply with but very hard to evade. DVLA's approach to combating vehicle excise duty (VED) evasion ranges from the issue of penalties directly from the vehicle record, out of court settlement letters and magistrates court prosecution of evaders, through to direct roadside enforcement action to wheel clamp and impound unlicensed vehicles. DVLA also works in close partnership with the police and local authorities on initiatives to tackle evaders. This approach is proving highly effective as demonstrated by the results of the most recent statistical survey showing an overall compliance rate of 98.5 per cent. by revenue collected.

Official Cars

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the annual budget of the Government Car and Despatch Agency is for providing transport for  (a) Ministers,  (b) senior civil servants,  (c) other members of the Government and  (d) the wider public sector.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) is an executive agency of the Department for Transport and is required to recover all the cost of its activities through charges to its customers. It does not therefore have an annual budget. GCDA has to compete with others to provide services to its customers, ensuring that the Agency operates as efficiently and as cost effectively as possible.
	In addition, I refer the hon. Member my answer of 6 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 643-4W.

Public Transport

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what work has been conducted by his Department to encourage and facilitate the use of intelligent transport systems; and from which budgets such work has been funded in each case.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport is one of three sponsor partners of the Future Intelligent Transport Systems (FITS) programme which is looking into innovative ways to solve transport problems.
	To facilitate the deployment of ITS applications, the Department has developed a web based ITS Toolkit which contains case studies and guidance on monitoring of ITS related schemes. Both of these initiatives are funded through the Transport Technology and Standards Division programme budget.
	The Department also provides funding and support to research and development for a number of transport technologies that have the potential to help deliver its objectives. Examples include real time bus information, journey planning and better traffic management and control systems. These activities are usually funded through the budget of the sponsoring division.

Public Transport: Concessions

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will meet representatives of the Youth Parliament to discuss concessionary fares on public transport for young people aged 11 to 18 years old who are in full-time education.

Paul Clark: There are no plans at present to extend statutory concessionary travel to young people aged 11 to 18-years-old who are in full-time education. However, I value the work of the UK Youth Parliament and I will consider any requests to meet that I receive from their representatives.

Public Transport: Visually Impaired

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2008,  Official Report, column 837W, on public transport: visually impaired, if his Department will instigate collections of data on the number of visually impaired people injured whilst using public transport; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: There are no plans to instigate collection of such data. Any such collection would place a burden on public transport providers as well as presenting practical difficulties in ensuring the collection of reliable and comparable information.

Railway Heritage Committee

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the  (a) role and  (b) remit is of the Railway Heritage Committee; what projects it is conducting; and from what budgets the costs of each such project are met.

Paul Clark: The Railway Heritage Committee exists to designate railway records and artefacts held by specified bodies within the rail industry which are historically significant and worthy of permanent preservation. It also agrees which institution should hold those records and artefacts when they are no longer needed by the business that owns them and the terms on which they should be offered for preservation.
	The Committee meets at regular intervals to consider the case for designation of particular items but is not itself responsible for any preservation projects. Its costs are met by the Department for Transport. Its annual budget for 2008-09 is £120,000.

Railways

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many rail passenger journeys were made in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2007 (i) England and (ii) from Blundellsands and Crosby railway station.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport does not hold information on rail passenger journeys from Blundellsands and Crosby railway station. This information may be available from Merseyrail, the Train Operating Company running services from this station, whose website address is:
	www.merseyrail.org.
	In addition, statistics on rail passenger journeys are published by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) in the National Rail Trends Yearbook, which is available in the House Library, or from the ORR website:
	www.rail-reg.gov.uk.

Railways: Expenditure

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how much capital expenditure his Department incurred in relation to rail travel in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2007;
	(2)  how much his Department plans to spend on the maintenance and development of railway stations in  (a) Crosby constituency and  (b) England in the next three years;
	(3)  how much capital expenditure his Department incurred in relation to railway stations in Crosby constituency in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2007.

Paul Clark: Details of total Government expenditure on the railway are published by the Office of Rail Regulation in National Rail Trends (NRT). Copies of this are available in the Library of the House. National Rail Trends states that in 1997-98, Government expenditure on rail travel was £1,829 million and rose to £5,147 million in 2007-08.
	The Department for Transport does not hold details of capital expenditure on railway stations as this is the responsibility of the relevant train operating company or Network Rail.

Roads

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the number of vehicle miles travelled on (i) motorways and (ii) other roads annually.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport produces estimates of road traffic in Great Britain each year. This involves commissioning about 10,000 manual traffic counts each year. Each count lasts from 7am to 7pm on a weekday outside of holiday periods. The manual counts are combined with data from around 180 automatic traffic counters which count continuously throughout the year.
	Data from both sources are combined to calculate annual estimates of the total distance travelled by type of vehicle, road class and geographical area.
	The methodology used for the road traffic estimates was subject to a National Statistics Quality Review in 2006. This was published in January 2007 and is available at:
	www.statistics.gov.uk/about/data/methodology/quality/reviews/transport.asp
	It is estimated that vehicles in Great Britain travelled 63 billion vehicle miles on motorways and 256 billion vehicle miles on other roads during 2007. This is the most recent year for which data are available.
	Further information and data for previous years are available at:
	www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/roadstraffic/speedscongestion/roadstatstsc/roadstats07tsc

Roads: Accidents

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) men and  (b) women aged between 17 and 21 years were killed in road traffic accidents in (i) Hemel Hempstead, (ii) Hertfordshire and (iii) England in each of the last three years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is given in the table:
	
		
			  Number of fatalities 
			   2005  2006  2007 
			   Male  Female  Total  Male  Female  Total  Male  Female  Total 
			 Hemel Hempstead constituency(1) 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Hertfordshire 5 2 7 4 2 6 5 2 7 
			 England 362 94 456 373 95 468 333 92 425 
			 (1) Based on 2004 parliamentary boundaries

Roads: Finance

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the Highways Agency has budgeted for expenditure on major road projects in  (a) 2009-10,  (b) 2010-11,  (c) 2011-12,  (d) 2012-13,  (e) 2013-14 and  (f) 2014-15.

Paul Clark: The following table sets out the current Highways Agency major projects spending plans for the remainder of the CSR 07 period.
	
		
			   £ billion 
			 2009-10 0.8 
			 2010-11 1.2 
		
	
	In July, the then Secretary of State announced a £6 billion investment package up to 2014 to improve and make better use of strategic roads. Detailed spending plans and annual budgets have not yet been determined and will be set in the light of progress on individual projects.

South West Trains: Tickets

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce a decision in response to the application by South West Trains to change its ticket office opening hours.

Paul Clark: A formal application to review ticket office hours has been received from South West Trains under the major change procedure and is subject to consideration by the Secretary of State under normal industry processes.

Speed Limits: Motorcycles

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to deploy average speed cameras to detect motorcycles travelling at excess speed; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport is not responsible for speed camera deployment which is entirely a matter for local road safety partnerships. Evidence shows average speed cameras are effective at reducing road casualties and reducing the speed of all types of vehicle. Traffic law enforcement devices require type approval by the Home Office before they can be used. At the moment there are four average speed cameras going through the type approval process. As type approval depends on the outcome of tests and manufacturers' reactions, it is not possible to guarantee that any particular device will be successful or that type approval will be granted within any specific time scale.

Stansted Airport: Air Pollution

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect of adjacent green field land in mitigating air borne pollution from Stansted Airport.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government have not made any detailed assessment of this matter. The Government's policies in respect of Stansted airport were set out in the 2003 'Future of Air Transport' White Paper, and take account of its environmental impacts as well as its economic and other benefits.

Traffic Radio

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the annual budget for Traffic Radio on DAB digital radio is for  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11.

Paul Clark: The Traffic Radio budget for the years 2008-2011 is as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2008-09 2,945,000 
			 2009-10 2,431,000 
			 2010-11 2,488,000 
		
	
	These figures include for the provision of content production, DAB bandwidth (MUX) purchase, management fees, communications and cost to deliver the service via the internet.

Transport: Local Authorities

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what transport grants are to be provided by his Department to local authorities in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11.

Paul Clark: The main capital and revenue transport allocations from the Department for Transport to local authorities in 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 are provided in the following table.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 Integrated Transport Block Funding 576.791 589.383 602.383 
			 Highways Maintenance formulaic funding 652.997 693.003 763.008 
			 Highways maintenance non-formulaic 50.212 62.614 45.609 
			 Major projects(1) 752 767 783 
			 Capital de-trunking schemes 34.937 32.284 33.782 
			 Capital road safety grant 17.527 17.382 17.201 
			 Urban congestion performance funding 15 20 20 
			 Concessionary Fares 212 217 223 
			 Tyne and Wear Metro specific grant 27.074 41.970 n/a 
			 Transport for London(2) 2669 2793 3017 
			 Cycling England(3) 20 60 60 
			 (1) Major projects allocations include provision for Highways Agency regional schemes as well as local authority schemes. It is for individual regions to advise on the balance. (2) Grant to Transport for London (TfL) includes provision for resource spend which for authorities outside London is supported by the Department for Communities and Local Government through formula grant. (3) Cycling England allocations for 2009-10 and 2010-11 include £15 million each year from DCSF. 
		
	
	Revenue funding for de-trunking, road safety and rural bus subsidy is delivered to local authorities via the Department for Communities and Local Government's area-based grant. Allocations for 2008-11 can be found at:
	http:///www.communities.gov.uk/documents/localgovernment/xls/770696.xls

Vehicle and Operator Services Agency: Recruitment

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport who is the employer of staff within the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency.

Jim Fitzpatrick: All those who work in Government Departments or agencies are employed by the Crown and have the rights and obligations which attach to that status, but for the purposes of rights under specific legislation the Department or agency may be the employer in accordance with its delegated powers or be treated as the employer for the purpose of exercising delegated functions.

Waterloo Station

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  when he expects the work on linking one of the former Eurostar platforms at Waterloo International to the main domestic Waterloo terminal to be completed; and how long after the completion date it will be before the first new train services are using the new platform 20 at Waterloo;
	(2)  how much it has cost in total to link the former Eurostar platform at Waterloo International to the domestic Waterloo terminal;
	(3)  what plans he has for bringing the remaining four Eurostar platforms at Waterloo International into use by domestic trains after the first of these platforms is linked to the domestic Waterloo terminal; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what the annual cost of maintaining the platforms at Waterloo International Terminal without any train services is expected to be; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  what feasibility studies his Department has commissioned on the future of Waterloo Terminal and Waterloo International Terminal; when these are expected to report; whether they have been asked to look into a long-term option of a 24-platform station, with each platform capable of accommodating 12 car trains; and if he will make a statement;
	(6)  when he will announce a decision on new train services into Waterloo, following the decision to link one platform of the former Eurostar platforms to the main station; and if he will make a statement;
	(7)  how many extra trains per day into Waterloo will be made possible as a result of the decision to create a platform 20 from one of the former Eurostar platforms.

Paul Clark: Works to convert platform 20 of Waterloo International for domestic usage will be completed by December 2008. This will provide the capability to operate domestic trains into this platform from this time. The Department for Transport has sought to engage with South West Trains to seek their agreement to operate train services into this platform. The cost of the works to link the former Eurostar platform at Waterloo International to the domestic Waterloo terminal is in the region of £2.9 million.
	Beyond this, it is primarily the railway infrastructure on the approaches to Waterloo rather than the number of platforms that limits the number of trains that can use Waterloo station as a whole. Therefore, we are seeking to run longer trains rather than more trains. This is in accordance with the strategy set out in the White Paper "Delivering a Sustainable Railway" published in July 2007.
	Network Rail are seeking to provide the necessary additional capacity on the South Western network by extending platforms at stations where required, and are currently taking forward detailed feasibility studies into making all the platforms at Waterloo long enough to accommodate 10 car trains. They will also need to modify the junction layouts on the approaches to the station. It also includes making full use of the remainder of the Waterloo International platforms.
	Such a large and complex scheme would allow the use of longer trains than currently use the short platforms and would result in a large increase in capacity on the South Western network to address crowding. The infrastructure works are planned to be completed by 2014. Additionally, for the longer term, Network Rail is also considering how to upgrade the station to accommodate 12-car rolling stock.
	Discussions are under way with South West Trains to determine the scope, timing and cost of providing the additional rolling stock that will deliver our strategy. Any proposals made by South West Trains will be evaluated to contractualise the requirements. However, as you would expect, this is subject to concluding value for money negotiations with the train operator.
	The platforms at Waterloo International are an integral part of the terminal building which is operated and managed by BRB (Residuary) Ltd. (BRBR) as a single site. As such it is not possible to accurately allocate the cost of the platforms on a stand alone basis. The total annual costs of managing the entire facility are in the order of £2.5 million. These costs are partially offset by rental income of approximately £340,000 per annum and BRBR are looking for further opportunities to generate income while the terminal is non-operational.

Waterloo Station

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what estimates his Department has made of the number of passengers travelling into Waterloo in  (a) 2007,  (b) 2008,  (c) 2009,  (d) 2010,  (e) 2011,  (f) 2015,  (g) 2020,  (h) 2025 and  (i) 2030; and what the basis is for such estimates;
	(2)  what recent representations his Department has received from organisations in the rail industry on his forecasts for passenger numbers travelling into Waterloo; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  whether he plans to revise his forecasts of future passenger numbers travelling into Waterloo; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  if he will review the accuracy of the methodology and base figures used to forecast future passenger numbers travelling into Waterloo; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: We have made a series of estimates of the overall volumes of passengers forecast to travel. The basis of these estimates is the Network Modelling Framework, a forecasting system that incorporates standard industry agreed demand forecasting methodology.
	No representations have been received on the overall forecasts.
	Forecasts of the overall volumes of arriving passengers at Waterloo during the morning peak were published as part of the HLOS. We have reviewed our forecasts for the CP4 period and concluded that no changes should be made to the extra peak demand to be accommodated by 2013-14. We will monitor actual outturn against forecasts over CP4.
	The industry methodology used to forecast rail passenger demand is reviewed on a regular basis. The HLOS forecasts used a base year of 2004-05. There are no plans to revise these base figures.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Democratic Republic of Congo: Overseas Aid

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans the Government has to provide humanitarian aid to the displaced people of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Douglas Alexander: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 17 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 116-17W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Coventry, South (Mr. Cunningham).

Television

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the television licence fee in his official Ministerial residence is paid for from public funds.

Gareth Thomas: Ministers in the Department for International Development do not have the use of an official ministerial residence.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Academies: Kettering

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school pupils he expects to attend the two new planned academies in Kettering.

Jim Knight: Under the proposals which are currently being developed, the following number of places are planned:  (a) 30 nursery and 840 primary school places and  (b) 2,700 secondary school places (including 500 post-16 places).

Education Maintenance Allowance: Telephone Services

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the numbers of calls to the Learner Support Helpline that went unanswered in each month since January 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) who operate the education maintenance allowance (EMA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and contract with Liberata to deliver EMA and the helpline and assessment payment body. Mark Haysom, the LSC's Chief Executive, will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.

Pre-school Education: Standards

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of early years settings have been found to be  (a) outstanding,  (b) good,  (c) satisfactory and  (d) inadequate by Ofsted since 1st September 2008;
	(2)  how many Ofsted inspections have been completed in early years settings since 1st September 2008.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 6 November 2008
	These are matters for Ofsted. The Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and copies of her replies have been placed in the Library.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 11 November 2008:
	 Parliamentary Question Number 233559: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many and what proportions of early years settings have been found to be (a) outstanding, (b) good, (c) satisfactory and (d) inadequate by Ofsted since 1st September 2008.
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for a response.
	The numbers and proportions of settings receiving each inspection grade are shown in the table below. These figures are taken from provision inspected between 1 September 2008 and 31 October 2008 and include only active providers on the early years register. Our figures use the most recent inspection visits, where the reports have been quality assured or have not been withdrawn from publication. Therefore, there is a discrepancy between the total number of inspections given here and in the response to Parliamentary Question 233562, which includes all inspections including some that have not been quality assured or published.
	
		
			  Number and percentages of Early Years Register (EYR) inspections between 1 September 2008 and 31 October 2008 
			  Grade  Number of inspections  Proportion of total inspections (percentage) 
			 Outstanding 110 6 
			 Good 1,052 55 
			 Satisfactory 629 33 
			 Inadequate 131 7 
			 Total 1,922 — 
		
	
	Please note that, as the selection of provision for inspection each year is not random, these figures should not be used to make judgements about the standards of national early years provision.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Rt Hon Beverley Hughes MP, Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 11 November 2008:
	 Parliamentary Question Number 233562: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many Ofsted inspections have been completed in early years settings since 1st September 2008.
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for a response.
	There were 2,549 inspections of provision recorded on the early years register (EYR) between 1 September 2008 and 31 October 2008. The early years register comprises those settings which provide care for children in the early years age group (aged from birth to the 31 August following a child's fifth birthday) where at least one individual child attends for more than two hours a day. There are a number of exemptions from registration, including schools that make provision for pupils aged three. The full list of exemptions is available from Ofsted's leaflet Registration not required, available at:
	http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofstedhome/Formsandguidance/Browseallby/Other/General/Registration-not-required/(language)/eng-GB
	The total number of inspections is taken from the figures available on the first working day of November and includes all inspections of active providers, including some that have not been quality assured or published. Therefore, there is a discrepancy between the total number of inspections given here and in the response to Parliamentary Question 233559, which gives outcomes of inspection and only includes those that have been quality assured or published.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Rt Hon Beverley Hughes MP, Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.

Schools: Finance

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the per pupil average dedicated school grant will be in  (a) each local authority in England and  (b) England for the 2009-10 academic year.

Jim Knight: The Department allocates education funding to local authorities on a financial year basis. For the 2009-10 dedicated schools grant, the guaranteed units of funding for pupils in all local authorities and the England average can be found in the revised 2009-11 indicative DSG allocations file at the following link:
	http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/docbank/index.cfm?id=13059
	This link works and is maintained regularly, being the location where the figures are officially published, and where any further information relating to the guaranteed units of funding and dedicated schools grant for 2009-10 will be updated.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Adult Education: Finance

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much his Department spent on the Adult Education and Skills Strategy in  (a) the most recent year for which figures are available and  (b) in each of the previous five years, broken down by main budget heading.

Si�n Simon: The majority of funding for adult further education and skills is managed by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and included in the LSC budget. Some funding is spent outside the LSC and included in other lines. A breakdown of expenditure from 2002-03 to 2007-08 included in the Adult Education and Skills Strategy line in Annex 2, Table 11 of the 2008 Departmental Report is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Outturn ( million) 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08( 1) 
			 Adult Education and Skills Strategy 245 172 182 191 168 176 
			  Of which:   
			 Skills Funding for Regional Development Agencies 42 42 43 43 44 45 
			 Skills For Life Development (non-LSC)1 47 46 46 60 27 25 
			 Capital Funding for UK Online Centres and Wired Up Communities 90  
			 Sector Skills Development Agency 17 35 70 68 75 81 
			 Learndirect and Adult Guidance(non-LSC)2 19 18 4 6 9 9 
			 Investors in People UK 2 5 5 5 6 6 
			 UK Skills Sponsorship 4 3 3 3 4 5 
			 Other Adult Education and Skills Strategy 24 23 11 6 3 5 
			 (1) Estimated (2) These lines do not show the full expenditure on these programmes as some expenditure is included in the LSC budget. In particular where funding reduces significantly, this is because funding has been transferred to LSC.  Source: The figures for total expenditure on the adult education and the skills strategy line are taken from Table 11, Annex 2 of the 2008 Departmental Report for the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.

Airwave Service

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what organisations for which his Department is responsible  (a) use and  (b) are planning to use Airwave handsets.

Si�n Simon: As far as we are aware none of the organisations for which DIUS is responsible use, or are planning to use, Airwave handsets.

Apprentices

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many and what proportion of apprentices  (a) were school leavers,  (b) were further education college leavers,  (c) were already employed by the employer providing the apprenticeship,  (d) had been in employment with a different employer and  (e) were from another category in each year since 2002.

Si�n Simon: Information on what route apprentices have come from is not currently available. However, a national apprenticeships vacancy matching service is being developed by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) to provide a high quality service to employers wishing to recruit apprentices, and to young people and adults considering an apprenticeship. This service will help deliver the objective outlined in World-class Apprenticeships to expand and improve the quality of our apprenticeships programme. The service will be available across England by April 2009. Part of the future role of the service will be to provide the new National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) with management information on apprenticeships.

Apprentices

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of  (a) large employers,  (b) medium-sized employers and  (c) small employers in England offered apprenticeships in each year since 2002;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of advanced apprenticeship places in England were with  (a) large employers,  (b) medium-sized employers and  (c) small employers in each year since 2002;
	(3)  how many and what proportion of level 2 apprenticeship places in England were with  (a) large employers,  (b) medium-sized employers and  (c) small employers in each year since 2002.

Si�n Simon: Data on the number and size of the employers supporting apprentices are not collected via the individualised learner record (ILR) and hence the information requested is not currently available.
	From the 2009/10 academic year, this information will be available on the ILR when a unique employer identifier will have to be provided by all employers of apprentices.
	We can provide an estimate of the size of employers that offer and have recruited apprentices from the National Employer Skills Survey (NESS). These data are based on over 79,000 establishments that were surveyed April and July 2007.
	Findings of the NESS show that (from Table 1) 6 per cent. of all employers surveyed have recruited an apprentice. 15 per cent. of employers with between 100 and 199 employees have recruited an apprentice, while 26 per cent. of employers with over 500 employees have recruited an apprentice.
	From Table 2, 14 per cent. of all employers surveyed have offered an apprenticeship. 25 per cent. of employers with between 100 and 199 employees have offered an apprenticeship, while 40 per cent. of employers surveyed with over 500 employees have offered an apprenticeship.
	
		
			  Table 1: Percentage of employers that have recruited an apprentice 
			Number of employees of employer 
			   All employers  2-4  5-24  25-99  100-199  200-499  500+ 
			 Percentage of employers that have recruited an apprentice 6 4 8 11 15 19 26 
			  Source: NESS 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Percentage of employers that have offered an apprenticeship 
			Number of employees of employer 
			   All employers  2-4  5-24  25-99  100-199  200-499  500+ 
			 Percentage of employers that have offered an apprenticeship 14 10 17 21 25 30 40 
			  Source: NESS

Counterfeit Manufacturing: Internet

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps are being taken to tackle the trade in counterfeit goods on internet auction sites.

David Lammy: The Government's plan for the creative industries, Creative Britain: New Talents for the New Economy, PP1067, published in February 2008 and available in the Library of the House, recognised online infringement of intellectual property rights as a particular concern. That document set out the Government's general action plan for intellectual property enforcement, of which online enforcement forms an important segment. The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is now leading in the Government's delivery of that plan. In line with the plan, local authority trading standards officers have been given expanded powers to deal with intellectual property crime. The Government have just completed a consultation on introducing exceptional summary (above 5,000) fines in magistrates' courts. The consultation is designed to align the penalties for online and physical copyright offences. And there is ever growing cooperation between law enforcement agencies and internet service providers. For example, eBay work closely with officials at the IPO and the enforcement agencies. During 2007, eBay trained some 7,000 law enforcement officials globally, assisted in over 66,000 investigations and the arrest or conviction of over 500 individuals.

Departmental Buildings

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend, East (James Duddridge) of 6 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 527-28W, on departmental buildings, what the cost of the refurbishment was.

Si�n Simon: The cost of the refurbishment at Kingsgate house, undertaken by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on behalf of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, was 5.1 million. This provided a cost-effective working environment, with flexible desking on the basis of eight desks for every 10 people, movement-activated lighting to reduce power consumption and video conferencing facilities to reduce travel costs.

Departmental Data Protection

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many  (a) universal serial bus flash memory data storage devices,  (b) mobile telephones,  (c) personal digital assistants and  (d) laptop computers, used to store restricted or confidential data have been lost by or stolen from his Department in each year since 2001.

Si�n Simon: The following table shows how many items used to store restricted or confidential information which have been lost or stolen by the Department since it was created in June 2007. The records do not distinguish between lost and stolen items. Before June 2007, the functions which make up the Department were part of other Government Departments, and records are retained by the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
	
		
			   2007  2008 (to date) 
			  (a) Universal serial bus flash memory data storage devices 0 0 
			  (b) Mobile telephones 0 0 
			  (c) Personal digital assistants 2 1 
			  (d) Laptop computers (1)1 0 
			 (1) Lost and subsequently recovered.

Departmental Information Officers

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many press and communications officers are employed by  (a) his Department,  (b) non-departmental public bodies and  (c) its agencies.

Si�n Simon: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) There are currently 12 permanent Press Officers and one temporary Press Officer supplied through the Central Office of Information in the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. There are 30 Communications Officers employed by the Department in its central communications function.
	 (b) and  (c) For much of its business, the Department operates through a number of arm's length bodies including 20 non-departmental public bodies and other agencies. It is the responsibility of each body to manage its staff and costs. Therefore the Department does not hold the information requested centrally and there would be a disproportionate cost to gather the information requested.

Departmental Internet

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many  (a) page hits and  (b) visitors his Department's website received in 2007-08.

Si�n Simon: DIUS was formed following Machinery of Government Changes on 28 June 2007. Prior to the current website being launched in October 2007, a temporary DIUS site existed for which website statistics are not available. Between October 2007 and March 2008 the DIUS website has received:
	 (a) 5,429,920 hits
	and
	 (b) 494,596 unique visitors.

Departmental Older Workers

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many people aged over  (a) 55 and  (b) 60 years were recruited by his Department in 2007-08; and what percentage in each case this was of the number of new recruits.

Si�n Simon: The Department was formed as part of the Machinery of Government changes announced on 28 June 2007. Figures are available from 28 June 2007 to 30 September 2008. The information is set out as follows:
	
		
			   Number  Percentage 
			 Over 55 6  
			 Over 60 1  
			 Percentage of new recruits (over 55)  4 
			 Percentage of new recruits (over 60)  1

Departmental Pensions

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many civil servants working in his Department and its agencies have pensions with a cash equivalent transfer value of over 1 million.

Si�n Simon: It is not appropriate to disclose pension information for civil servants other than Board Members whose details are shown in the Remuneration Report in annual Resource Accounts. A copy of the Innovation, Universities and Skills Resource Accounts for financial year 2007-8 can be found in the Library or accessed electronically using the following link:
	http://www.dius.gov.uk/publications/DIUSResourceAccounts2007-08.pdf
	Similar information for the Department's agencies can also be accessed electronically:
	 National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML):
	http://www.nwml.gov.uk/Admin/Documents/annual %20report%20and%20accounts%20200708%20web%20version.pdf
	and
	 Intellectual Property Office (IPO):
	http://www.ipo.gov.uk/about-anrep0708.pdf

Departmental Public Relations

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much his Department spent on  (a) entertainment,  (b) advertising and promotion and  (c) public relations consultancy in 2007-08.

Si�n Simon: The Department does not hold public relations or consultancy spend data at the level of detail sought. To determine the public relations consultancy spend would be at disproportionate cost. Entertainment and advertising and promotion spend for 2007-08 was as follows:
	
		
			   000  Percentage of total spend 
			 Entertainment 81 0.0003951 
			 Advertising and Promotion 470 0.0022930 
		
	
	The total spend for 2007-08 was 20,505,604,000 as reported in the 2007-08 Resource Accounts.

Higher Education: Admissions

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what proportion of successful undergraduate university applicants from  (a) the UK,  (b) EU member states other than the UK and  (c) non-EU states were accepted for a science, technology, engineering or mathematics course in each year since 2002.

David Lammy: The latest information is shown in the following table. Figures for the 2008 year of entry will be available in January 2009.
	The figures are taken from data collected by the Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS) which are limited to students who apply to full-time undergraduate courses via the UCAS application system. The figures do not therefore cover part-time students, nor those full-time students who apply directly to higher education institutions.
	
		
			  Accepted applicants to full-time undergraduate courses by subject group and home domicile 2002 to 2007 
			   Year of Entry 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 UK acceptances (number) 331,725 333,942 334,295 360,244 345,564 364,544 
			 STEM(1 )(percentage) 38.5 38.2 37.7 37.5 37.9 37.4 
			 Non-STEM (percentage) 61.5 61.8 62.3 62.5 62.1 62.6 
			
			 EU acceptances (number) 11,992 12,572 15,452 17,247 18,280 20,661 
			 STEM(1 )(percentage) 39.7 40.5 39.7 37.5 39.2 38.8 
			 Non-STEM (percentage) 60.3 59.5 60.3 62.5 60.8 61.2 
			
			 NON-EU acceptances (number) 24,398 27,793 27,797 27,878 27,046 28,225 
			 STEM(1 )percentage) 43.5 42.3 43.6 43.0 42.3 42.0 
			 Non-STEM (percentage) 56.5 57.7 56.4 57.0 57.7 58.0 
			 (1) STEM subjects include Combined Science courses.  Source:  UCAS

Higher Education: Finance

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what proportion of the income of each university in England derives from funding provided by the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

David Lammy: The table sets out the figures for 2006/07 which is the latest year for which data are available. The data are derived from institutions' returns to the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 Total England 37 
			   
			 Anglia Ruskin University 44 
			 Aston University 35 
			 Bath Spa University 59 
			 The University of Bath 35 
			 University of Bedfordshire 48 
			 Birkbeck College 51 
			 Birmingham City University 38 
			 Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies 61 
			 The University of Birmingham 34 
			 Bishop Grosseteste University College Lincoln 63 
			 The University of Bolton 54 
			 The Arts Institute at Bournemouth 64 
			 Bournemouth University 45 
			 The University of Bradford 36 
			 The University of Brighton 50 
			 The University of Bristol 39 
			 Brunei University 38 
			 Buckinghamshire New University 43 
			 The University of Cambridge 19 
			 The Institute of Cancer Research 25 
			 Canterbury Christ Church University 43 
			 The University of Central Lancashire 44 
			 Central School of Speech and Drama 59 
			 University of Chester 47 
			 The University of Chichester 54 
			 The City University 22 
			 Conservatoire for Dance and Drama 78 
			 Courtauld Institute of Art 29 
			 Coventry University 42 
			 Cranfield University 16 
			 The University College for the Creative Arts 59 
			 Cumbria Institute of the Arts 63 
			 Dartington College of Arts 69 
			 De Montfort University 51 
			 University of Derby 52 
			 University of Durham 36 
			 The University of East Anglia 37 
			 The University of East London 43 
			 Edge Hill University 55 
			 The University of Essex 37 
			 The University of Exeter 37 
			 University College Falmouth 47 
			 University of Gloucestershire 52 
			 Goldsmiths College 48 
			 The University of Greenwich 44 
			 Guildhall School of Music and Drama 7 
			 Harper Adams University College 52 
			 University of Hertfordshire 35 
			 Heythrop College 15 
			 The University of Huddersfield 52 
			 The University of Hull 40 
			 Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine 28 
			 Institute of Education 31 
			 The University of Keele 36 
			 The University of Kent 39 
			 King's College London 34 
			 Kingston University 46 
			 The University of Lancaster 30 
			 Leeds College of Music 70 
			 Leeds Metropolitan University 53 
			 The University of Leeds 34 
			 Leeds Trinity and All Saints 54 
			 The University of Leicester 34 
			 The University of Lincoln 58 
			 Liverpool Hope University 55 
			 Liverpool John Moores University 49 
			 The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts 45 
			 The University of Liverpool 33 
			 University of the Arts, London 50 
			 London Business School 9 
			 University of London (Institutes and activities) 10 
			 London Metropolitan University 51 
			 London South Bank University 37 
			 London School of Economics and Political Science 17 
			 London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine 19 
			 Loughborough University 34 
			 The Manchester Metropolitan University 48 
			 The University of Manchester 29 
			 Middlesex University 41 
			 The University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne 36 
			 Newman College of Higher Education 64 
			 The University of Northampton 46 
			 The University of Northumbria at Newcastle 40 
			 Norwich School of Art and Design 61 
			 The University of Nottingham 31 
			 The Nottingham Trent University 49 
			 The Open University 56 
			 Oxford Brookes University 34 
			 The University of Oxford 27 
			 University College Plymouth St. Mark and St. John 49 
			 The University of Plymouth 55 
			 The University of Portsmouth 49 
			 Queen Mary and Westfield College 39 
			 Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication 67 
			 The University of Reading 35 
			 Roehampton University 56 
			 Rose Bruford College 68 
			 Royal Academy of Music 31 
			 Royal Agricultural College 34 
			 Royal College of Art 56 
			 Royal College of Music 29 
			 The Royal College of Nursing 14 
			 Royal Holloway and Bedford New College 34 
			 Royal Northern College of Music 45 
			 The Royal Veterinary College 46 
			 St. George's Hospital Medical School 34 
			 St. Martin's College 44 
			 St. Mary's University College, Twickenham 54 
			 The University of Salford 38 
			 The School of Oriental and African Studies 34 
			 The School of Pharmacy 46 
			 Sheffield Hallam University 46 
			 The University of Sheffield 34 
			 Southampton Solent University 48 
			 The University of Southampton 34 
			 Staffordshire University 53 
			 The University of Sunderland 44 
			 The University of Surrey 24 
			 The University of Sussex 41 
			 The University of Teesside 52 
			 Thames Valley University 53 
			 Trinity Laban 49 
			 University College London 30 
			 The University of Warwick 26 
			 University of the West of England, Bristol 40 
			 The University of Westminster 45 
			 The University of Winchester 49 
			 The University of Wolverhampton 45 
			 The University of Worcester 49 
			 Writtle College 55 
			 York St. John University 48 
			 The University of York 29

Higher Education: Further Education

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made of the adequacy of higher education representation at regional level of further education colleges who are providing higher education.

David Lammy: Further education colleges which also provide higher education can offer a distinctive form of excellence for some students who may not otherwise participate in higher education. We are satisfied that there is good co-operation and collaboration at national, regional and local level between providers of further and higher education in order to help learners realise their full potential. However, it is for the institutions within particular regions to decide for themselves on how they should be represented at regional level.

Higher Education: North West

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what recent meetings his officials have had with organisations from the north west to discuss widening access to higher education in the region.

David Lammy: Ministers and officials speak to many institutions and organisations about issues that affect individuals' progression to higher education. Widening access to higher education is a Government priority. Our policy initiatives are taken forward by our stakeholders who work closely with organisations at local level.
	There are five Aimhigher Area Partnerships in the north west which engage with a wide range of schools, colleges and higher education institutions in the region. The Aimhigher programme's primary purpose is to widen participation in higher education.
	Furthermore, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the North West Universities Association (NWUA) are both members of the Regional Skills and Employment Board. The Board membership also includes the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), the North West Development Agency (NWDA), the Alliance of Sector Skills Councils and Government Office North West etc. The Board last met at the start of October to discuss key regional priorities/challenges. The need to upskill very significant numbers of those already in work to Level 4+ was one of the issues discussed.
	The LSC also sits on the Steering Group for the NWUA-led Higher Level Skills Pathfinder which meets monthly. The Pathfinder (funded by HEFCE/NWDA) seeks to increase the capacity of HEIs to deliver higher-level skills in the workplace.
	HEFCE has recently received a report from Action on Access (the national co-ordination team for widening participation in higher education) providing an analysis by region of applications and entry to HE from all areas across the country using the Index of Multiple Deprivation as a measure. That report shows that between 2002-03 and 2006-07 the total number of entrants to higher education has increased by 8.9 per cent. in the north west. This growth largely comes from the 20 per cent. most deprived groups with participation from the most deprived neighbourhoods increased by 28.3 per cent.

Higher Education: North West

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the Learning and Skills Council on its working relationship with the Higher Education Funding Council for England in the North West;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with the Learning and Skills Council on its regional higher education strategies, with particular reference to the North West region.

Si�n Simon: Ministers from the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) hold regular meetings with the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) to discuss a wide range of issues. Although there have been no recent discussions with Ministers relating to higher education in the north-west, Mark Haysom, the chief executive of the LSC, holds regular meetings with his regional directors to review progress on regional skills priorities, including on the regional contribution of the LSC to higher education skills. There are also regular formal meetings between the LSC and HEFCE chief executives and chairmen.
	The forthcoming Grant Letter to the LSC will underline the continuing importance of close engagement between the LSC and HEFCE to ensure that more people can progress into higher education and to provide the higher level skills that employers need to remain competitive.

Higher Education: North West

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what arrangements the Higher Education Funding Council for England has for working with further education colleges that operate in conjunction with higher education providers in the North West region.

David Lammy: The Council works effectively with all institutions which help learners to acquire higher level skills. Progression from further to higher education is important in enabling learners to realise their full potential. HEFCE officers meet with senior staff from both further education colleges which provide higher education and higher education institutions in the North West in the normal course of HEFCE business. The Council's policies and practices are designed to facilitate close collaboration between different providers in the interests of learners and those seeking higher skills.

Students: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many people in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency received  (a) adult learning grants and  (b) career development loans in the last period for which figures are available; and what the total monetary value was of such grants and loans.

Si�n Simon: The Learning and Skills Council administer the adult learning grant and career development loans (through three high street banks), on behalf of the Department.
	So far in the 2008-09 academic year, six individuals have received support from an adult learning grant in the Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency. The total value of adult learning grant paid to those individuals so far is around 1,140.
	For the period 6 April 2008 to 12 November 2008, a total of 11 career development loans have been issued to individuals residing in Bexleyheath and Crayford. The total value of these loans is 74,174.

Union Learning Fund: Crosby

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many workplaces in Crosby constituency are in receipt of funding from the Union Learning Fund; and how much the fund has spent in Crosby constituency since its establishment.

Si�n Simon: Trade unions have a key role to play in promoting the development of learning and skills in the workplace. To help them do this more effectively we introduced the Union Learning Fund in 1998. This source of funding is helping trade unions use their influence with employers, employees and training providers to encourage greater take up of learning at work and boost their own capacity as learning organisations.
	With the help of the Union Learning Fund, trade unions and their union learning representatives have been able to develop successful partnerships with employers to raise skill levels in the workplace. There are now over 20,500 trained union learning reps who have helped more than 600,000 workers back into learning since the fund was introduced. Over 200,000 were helped last year, many from those hard to reach groups, who employers and training providers find it so difficult to engage with, including over 34,000 workers with poor basic literacy and numeracy skills.
	Union Learning Fund resources are allocated directly to trade unions at a national or regional level. Detailed information on the number of workplaces involved and the associated level of funding at a constituency level is not held by the Department.

Vocational Training

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what recent discussions his Department has had with the Higher Education Funding Council for England on the effectiveness of prioritisation of skills funding at higher levels through its Strategic Development Fund.

David Lammy: The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) set out its specific priorities for advancing its strategic aims and objectives through its Strategic Development Fund (SDF) at:
	http://www.hefce.ac.uk/finance/fundinghe/sdf/spp.htm
	with its criteria for SDF bids published at:
	www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefec/2007/0722/.
	The SDF currently offers funding for four specific priority programmes, one of which is 'employer engagement'. This supports a broad programme of high level skills activities in response to Government's priorities set out in the 2008 grant letter, and in order to create the platform for achieving the higher skills ambition set out in the Leitch report.
	My officials are in regular contact with HEFCE regarding employer engagement activities funded through the SDF and receive periodic updates on progress and new developments.

TREASURY

11 Downing Street: Utilities

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent on  (a) heating,  (b) electricity and  (c) water bills for (i) No. 11 Downing street and (ii) Dorneywood in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: The information requested in respect of No. 11 Downing street is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Dorneywood is owned and operated by the Dorneywood Trust, a registered charity, at no cost to public funds.

Bank Services

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will take steps to restore assets belonging to UK depositors of Kaupthing, Singer and Friedlander (Isle of Man) following the freezing of Icelandic assets;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the losses in excess of 50,000 incurred by UK depositors in Kaupthing, Singer and Friedlander (Isle of Man) following the freezing of Icelandic assets; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 6 November 2008
	On 8 October, the Treasury made Landsbanki Freezing Order 2008 in order to freeze funds and financial assets relating to Landsbanki. Landsbanki is the only Icelandic bank which has been made the subject of a freezing order.

Bank Services: Pensions

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects on pension funds of major banks ceasing to pay dividends.

Ian Pearson: Pension fund exposure to these assets, while not insignificant, is unlikely to be large relative to their total holdings. None the less, these are volatile times for financial markets and the Government are committed to doing whatever it takes to stabilise the banking system, protect savers and taxpayers and support the wider economy.

Banks: Government Shareholding

Peter Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  whether the ordinary shares in  (a) HBOS plc,  (b) RBS plc and  (c) Lloyds TSB plc purchased by the Commissioners of HM Treasury are ordinary voting shares; whether ordinary dividends may be paid before all shares held by the Government are redeemed or sold in each case; how many directors the Government will be able to appoint to the Board of Directors in each case; and what restrictions will be put on the emoluments of the directors of each of these banks;
	(2)  whether the preference shares purchased by the Commissioners of HM Treasury in  (a) HBOS plc,  (b) RBS Group plc and Lloyds TSB plc are (i) redeemable, (ii) fixed rate, (iii) non-cumulative and (iv) non-voting shares; what the (A) nominal value and (B) rate of dividend is of each type of preference shares; and what the (1) earliest date the company can redeem the shares and (2) latest date the shares have to be redeemed is for each type of share.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 23 October 2008
	The Government have agreed to underwrite issues of ordinary shares in RBS, Lloyds TSB and HBOS totalling 28 billion. The Government will buy any shares which are not purchased by existing or new shareholders. These shares are voting shares.
	The Government are also purchasing preference shares in the firms. The preference shares, which HM Treasury has agreed to invest in RBS, Lloyds TSB and HBOS are redeemable, fixed rate, non-cumulative and non-voting shares. As soon as the preference shares have been repaid, payment of ordinary dividends would be permitted.
	The Government's investment is subject to certain conditions, details of which are available in the agreements with the banks. Copies are in the Library.

Banks: Government Shareholding

Peter Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date each of the different share categories under the 37 billion purchase by the Commissioners of HM Treasury in  (a) HBOS plc,  (b) RBS Group plc and  (c) Lloyds TSB plc will be subscribed.

Ian Pearson: holding answer  23 October  2008
	The indicative timetable included in the circular issued to shareholders by Lloyds TSB shows that they expect the ordinary shares in the merged entity to be issued on 19 January 2009, subject to shareholder approvals. The RBS circular similarly indicates that they expect the ordinary shares to be issued on 1 December 2008. We expect the new preference shares to be purchased on the same day as the ordinary shares are issued.

Banks: Italy

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance his Department has provided to public authorities on the safety of placing deposits in Italian banks.

Ian Pearson: As a matter of course, HM Treasury does not comment on individual financial institutions.

Banks: Republic of Ireland

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment has been made of the  (a) safety,  (b) risk profile and  (c) security of deposits made by local authorities in Irish-owned banks operating in the Republic of Ireland.

Ian Pearson: As a matter of course, HM Treasury does not comment on individual financial institutions.

Betting: Regulation

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 11 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1083W, on betting: regulation, what plans there are to transfer the regulation of spread betting from the Financial Services Authority to the Gambling Commission.

Angela Eagle: The Government currently have no such plans.

Departmental ICT

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) of 27 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 778-80W, on departmental ICT, for what reasons  (a) HM Revenue and Customs and  (b) the Valuation Office Agency were not listed in the answer.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is a non-ministerial Department, and the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) is an agency of HMRC. Neither HMRC nor VOA are agencies of HM Treasury.

Departmental Visits Abroad

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent in 2007 on visits by its staff to Brussels; and how many such visits were made by  (a) air and  (b) rail.

Angela Eagle: In 2007-08, the Treasury spent 232,000 on official visits to Brussels representing 1,270 visits, of which 19 were by air and 1,251 by rail.

Financial Services Authority: ICT

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many complaints have been received concerning the Gathering Better Regulatory Information Electronically electronic reporting system, in the last 12 months broken down by subject of complaint;
	(2)  what the  (a) original budget and  (b) final costs for the design and implementation of the Gathering Better Regulatory Information Electronically system;
	(3)  which IT systems the Gathering Better Regulatory Information Electronically system has replaced;
	(4)  how much his Department has spent on the design and implementation of the Gathering Better Regulatory Information Electronically IT project.

Ian Pearson: The matters are the responsibility of the Financial Services Authority, whose day to day operations are independent from Government control and influence.

Government Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 3 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2184W, on Government Departments: property, what area of actual vacant space is recorded on the e-PIMS database, aggregated to include sensitive and non-sensitive records in a non-identifiable manner.

Angela Eagle: The current total area of actual vacant space recorded on e-PIMS as at the end of October 2008 is 274,357 sq m. Of this, the area of vacant space marked as sensitive totals 644 sq m.

Government Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 3 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2184W, on Government Departments: property, if he will place in the Library a list of the names and addresses of the current non-sensitive vacant space recorded on the e-PIMS database and the area vacant for each address.

Angela Eagle: The list has been placed in the Libraries.

Housing: Valuation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) of 18 June 2008,  Official Report, column 988W, on housing: valuation, when the boundaries of the localities were last amended or updated.

Stephen Timms: Update and amendment of individual locality boundaries occurs frequently on a care and maintenance basis. The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Amendments to localities do not affect current council tax bands.

Housing: Valuation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 22 July 2008,  Official Report, column 1393W, on housing: valuation, when the numerical co-efficient values were last amended or updated.

Stephen Timms: Update and amendment of individual locality coefficients occur frequently on a care and maintenance basis and do not affect current council tax bands. The information could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Housing: Valuation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many domestic dwellings in England are marked with a property details activity code of  (a) 30,  (b) 60 and  (c) 70 according to the Valuation Office Agency's records.

Stephen Timms: These activity codes have been applied to dwellings in England between April 2003 and October 2008:
	
		
			  Code  Number 
			 30 1,205,756 
			 60 1,225,299 
			 70 259,193

Lloyds TSB

David Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what elements of Government support for Lloyds TSB are conditional on that company completing its proposed merger with HBOS; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The boards of both HBOS and Lloyds TSB decided it was in their interests to merge, and it was in the expectation of the merger going ahead that the terms of the package were agreed with both firms. If for any reason the merger did not go ahead, it would be a matter for both firms to agree with the FSA their capital needs.

National Association of Estate Agents

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what meetings  (a) Ministers and  (b) civil servants in his Department have had with the National Association of Estate Agents in the last 12 months; and on what dates.

Angela Eagle: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Non-domestic Rates: Empty Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment has been made of the effect of the introduction of empty property business rates on the attractiveness to overseas investors of real estate investment trusts.

Angela Eagle: The Department of Communities and Local Government published an impact assessment of the empty property rate relief reforms in May 2007 alongside the primary legislation.
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/ratingempty
	On 26 February this year, the Minister for Local Government laid a further assessment before the House, alongside the regulations.
	http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2008/em/uksiem_20080386_en.pdf

Plain English

Lee Scott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been spent by his Department on Plain English Campaign training courses for its staff in each year since 2005.

Angela Eagle: The Treasury does not hold a central record of Plain English Campaign training courses attended by staff and the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Private Finance Initiative: Local Government

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment has been made of the effect of the current financial situation on the viability of local authority private finance initiative projects.

Angela Eagle: Local authority private finance initiative transactions have continued to close this year but conditions in the banking market are putting some current projects under pressure. This is the result of limited liquidity in the banking market rather than the structure of the projects themselves. The Treasury is working with procuring authorities and departments to ensure that projects in the late stages of procurement are able to achieve contract close.

Regional Economic Council

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration has been given to including local authority representatives on the Regional Economic Council.

Yvette Cooper: Local authorities are represented at the Regional Economic Council through representatives nominated by the Local Government Association.
	Local government representatives were invited from all nine regions for the first meeting as well as the leader of the Local Government Association, Margaret Eaton.

Regional Government: Finance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the budget for the  (a) Council of Regional Ministers and  (b) Regional Economic Council is in the first year of operation.

Yvette Cooper: The REC and CRM do not have discrete allocated budgets. BERR, CLG and HMT provide the secretariat resource for these committees from within existing resources.

Taxation: Inspections

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many new tax inspectors his Department appointed in each of the last five years; how many it plans to appoint in 2008-09; how many tax inspectors appointed in the last five years have been seconded for training purposes; to which businesses they were seconded; and how many tax inspectors appointed in the last five years were recruited from  (a) accounting firms and  (b) law firms.

Stephen Timms: There are currently over 10,000 tax professional staff within HMRC across a number of disciplines. Staff are recruited into these roles both internally from non-tax professional staff within the Department and externally.
	HMRC does not second tax professionals specifically for training purposes, however tax professional staff do spend varying periods with organisations to widen their understanding.
	The number of new tax professional staff recruited in each of the last five years and a breakdown of whether tax professionals were recruited from law firms, accountancy firms, or other organisations could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Taxation: Inspections

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many fully qualified tax inspectors worked in his Department's  (a) large business service,  (b) teams dealing with tax avoidance schemes and  (c) teams dealing with offshore tax havens in each of the last five years; and how many were so deployed on the latest date for which figures are available.

Stephen Timms: The term 'tax inspector' is a former Inland Revenue term which is no longer used in HMRC. Staff work flexibly to meet business needs, holding a range of qualifications across a number of disciplines.
	There are currently over ten thousand staff in tax professional roles across the Department. Records of tax professional staff are not broken down by directorate and precise numbers could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Staff across many directorates deal with tax avoidance schemes in their work and similarly a number of areas of the Department's compliance activity involve inquiring into tax issues relating to offshore jurisdictions, but HMRC does not record the resources spent on this work separately.

Taxation: Prisoners

Edward Garnier: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much tax and national insurance had been paid by prisoners employed in the Howard League for Penal Reform social enterprise in HMP Coldingley at the point of its closure; and how much has been refunded.

Stephen Timms: As for other individuals, the personal tax affairs of prisoners are covered by rules of confidentiality.

Valuation Office: Contracts

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Valuation Office Agency has access to an electronic tendering system.

Stephen Timms: The Valuation Office Agency does not have direct access to an electronic tendering system, but is able to commission the HMRC commercial Directorate to undertake work for VOA through their system.

Valuation Office: Geographical Information Systems

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) of 4 November 2008,  Official Report, column 314W, on the Valuation Office, which four companies were invited to tender; and what criteria were used in the decision to invite those companies.

Stephen Timms: In accordance with the terms of HM Revenue and Customs' contract with Aspire, the tender process was handled by Aspire. The identify of the companies invited to tender is commercially confidential.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Peter Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will make a substantive reply to Question  (a) 229574 on preference shares,  (b) 229573, on ordinary shares,  (c) 229576, on subscription of the different share categories and  (d) 229577, on the Lloyds TSB and HBOS merger, tabled on 20 October 2008 for named day answer on 23 October.

Ian Pearson: I answered  (a), (b) and  (c) on 18 November and  (d) on 17 November.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Abandoned Vehicles

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department has taken to tackle the problems of abandoned cars since 2002.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 amended the Refuse Disposal Amenity Act 1978 and Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 in relation to the offence, removal and disposal of abandoned vehicles.
	A local authority no longer has to affix a 24-hour notice of removal of an abandoned vehicle it considers is only fit for destruction. It is now possible to remove an abandoned vehicle immediately from any road, including roads on private housing estates. Abandoned vehicles that are only fit for destruction or do not display a licence or number plate can be destroyed immediately.
	In all other cases, the local authority will try to find the owner; if they fail, or the owner does not collect the vehicle within seven days of being contacted, the vehicle can be disposed of without the need to wait for the license to expire. Local authorities can recoup the value of the license from the DVLA. Local authorities can also impose fixed penalties of 200, in lieu of prosecution, if the owner of an abandoned vehicle can be identified.

Agriculture: Research

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding from the public purse has been allocated for research into new farming systems in each of the last five years, broken down by main category of expenditure.

Jane Kennedy: DEFRA has invested in research activities in several programmes since 2003-04 that contribute to development of sustainable farming systems. Industry have joint funded some of the work within LINK programmes, a mechanism co-funding collaborative research between industry and the public sector.
	Total spend in each programme for each of the last five years is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   
			   Programme 
			  Financial year  Integrated farming systems( 1)  Integrated systems( 2)  LINK (including organic LINK)( 3)  Organic farming( 4)  Grand total 
			 2003-04  941,848 1,374,876 1,890,119 4,206,843 
			 2004-05  1,318,345 2,064,689 1,538,977 4,922,011 
			 2005-06  930,055 2,176,249 1,422,150 4,528,454 
			 2006-07 946,594 780,377 2,762,759 844,103 5,333,833 
			 2007-08 2,476,806 467,014 2,749,883 878,875 6,572,578 
			 2008-09 2,894,125 363,581 2,736,520 851,927 6,846,153 
			 Grand total 6,317,525 4,801,220 13,864,976 7,426,151 32,409,872 
			 (1 )Integrated Farming Systems  This programme was formed in 2006 to fund system-based approaches to farm production and land management; contribution of integrated farming techniques to policy outcomes or resource use efficiency; reduction of negative environmental footprint of agriculture; sustaining and enhancing environment, biodiversity and soils associated with farmland. It incorporates new work related to the former Integrated Systems programme. (2 )Integrated Systems  This programme funded work that cut across the former commodity programmes (arable, livestock and horticulture) and the Agricultural Environmental Protection programme to cover joint interests. The programme was closed to new work in 2005-06 but projects commissioned before that time are ongoing. (3 )LINK  LINK is a mechanism for co-funding collaborative research between industry and the public sector. The LINK programmes are: Food LINK, Horticulture LINK, Renewable Materials LINK, Sustainable Arable LINK, and Sustainable Livestock Production LINK. Much of the systems based research funded through LINK is in the Sustainable Arable LINK programme which is included in the table. (4 )Organic Farming  This includes projects on organic systems in the Organic Farming Production and Economics programme which became a sub-programme of the new Sustainable Farming Systems programme in 2005-06.  Note:  These figures are taken from the DEFRA Science Information System database.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the most recent inspection report of the Rural Payments Agency by the Office of the Surveillance Commissioner that is held by the Rural Payments Agency.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The last report on the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) by the Office of Surveillance Commissioner (OSC) was in 2004. As the report includes sensitive information on the areas and use of covert investigation techniques under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA), including the resources available, it would be inappropriate to place the report in the Library.
	The Interception of Communications Commissioner, the Chief Surveillance Commissioner and the Intelligence Service Commissioner, who each have particular inspection and oversight responsibilities under RIPA, publish annual reports. The latest reports were laid before Parliament and copies placed in the House Library on 22 July. The figures provided in the reports for use of specific covert techniques are not broken down by individual public authority. The question of further disclosure for any particular public authority is a matter for the relevant commissioner.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Elliot Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely effect of proposals under the CAP Health Check to remove cross-compliance rules which allow for a reduction in payments for claimants who permit their land to be used for illegal poisoning of birds of prey.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The protection of wild birds, their eggs and nests is currently subject to cross compliance rules. The CAP Health Check will not remove the requirement relating to the deliberate killing (including killing by poisoning) of wild birds. However, the requirements to prohibit the taking of wild birds' eggs, keeping wild birds and using non-selective means of hunting, capture or killing are likely to be removed. The Government accept that farmers are unlikely to take wild birds eggs or take birds from the wild for keeping in captivity, however, the Government have argued against the removal of the prohibition on non-selective means of hunting, capture or killing birds. My Department considers that this aspect may be beneficial in dealing with cases of illegal poisoning in addition to the main offence of deliberate killing. However, this is not a view widely held by other member states or the European Commission.
	The UK has not yet conducted an impact assessment, but may do so when the Health Check concludes in December.
	Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 the taking and killing of wild birds using poison remains an offence, with penalties of up to 5,000 and/or up to six months imprisonment.

Badgers

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on the use of rodenators to control badgers.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 it is prohibited to use any explosive other than ammunition for a firearm for the purpose of killing or taking any wild animal. My Department believes that the product called the Rodenator and similar devices are explosive devices and their use for these purposes is thus prohibited.
	The 1981 Act includes provisions for the granting of licences allowing the use of prohibited methods for certain purposes where suitably justified. The assessment of individual applications would be carried out on DEFRA's behalf by Natural England within a policy framework set by DEFRA. DEFRA's policy is that licences should be considered only if it can be demonstrated to DEFRA's satisfaction that the method is humane and effective. DEFRA's position statement on Rodenator and similar devices can be found on our website.
	Under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 it is prohibited, without a licence, to wilfully take or kill a badger, or to interfere with a badger sett. Therefore a licence under the 1992 Act would also be needed to use the Rodenator to take or kill badgers, or to interfere with a badger sett. The assessment of individual applications is carried out on DEFRA's behalf by Natural England within a policy framework set by DEFRA. This policy document is also available on our website.

Carbon Emissions: New Forest

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 10 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 769-70W, on carbon emissions: New Forest, 
	(1)  what the effect of the technical constraints is on the policy of whether traffic on the A31 trunk road should be included in the carbon footprint of the New Forest National Park Authority;
	(2)  what carbon footprint figures are available for the A31 trunk road;
	(3)  whether carbon footprint figures are available for any parts of  (a) the New Forest National Park,  (b) the New Forest District Council area and  (c) the Hampshire County Council area;
	(4)  what the technical hurdles referred to are; and when they were first identified.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 17 November 2008
	The technical hurdles to producing carbon dioxide emissions figures for the New Forest National Park concern aggregation of available spatially disaggregated data to the boundaries of the park, and merging data for emissions and removals due to land use with other emissions. These issues have been known generically for a long time and apply in general to producing geographically disaggregated estimates. My Department routinely produces estimates for local authority areas, but not national park boundaries. I anticipate that the technical constraints will not prevent inclusion of emission from the A31 Trunk Road in the carbon footprint of the national park, and it should be possible to produce emissions estimates for other sections of the A31. My response later in the year, promised in my previous answer of 10 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 769-70W, will set out these issues in more detail.

Departmental Catering

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was spent on entertainment by his Department in 2007-08; and how much of that sum is accounted for by expenditure on  (a) food,  (b) alcohol,  (c) staff and  (d) accommodation.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The core-Department holds no information centrally on the expenditure category of entertainment.

Departmental Energy

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department spent on  (a) electricity and  (b) heating in each month of each of the last five years.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 13 November 2008
	The Secretary of State is unable to provide data broken down by month but can provide costs for electricity, gas and oil over the five-year period as shown in the following table:
	
		
			   
			   Electricity cost  Gas cost  Oil cost  Total cost 
			 2006-07 5,761,472 2,693,817 80,233 8,535,522 
			 2005-06 4,160,771 2,043,127 101,369 6,305,267 
			 2004-05 2,779,828 1,565,374 62,085 4,407,287 
			 2003-04 2,361,546 1,550,061 72,089 3,983,696 
			 2002-06 2,583,077 1,471,808 99,671 4,154,556 
		
	
	The Sustainable Development Commission has not yet verified energy data for 2007-08 so we are unable to provide this information.

Departmental Expenditure

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his Department's expenditure was on consultants for  (a) management,  (b) media and public relations,  (c) design,  (d) information technology,  (e) recruitment,  (f) research,  (g) marketing,  (h) public affairs and  (i) training in each year since 2001.

Huw Irranca-Davies: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. I refer the hon. Member to pages 133 and 141 of DEFRA's Departmental Report 2008.

Departmental Internet

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many unique visitors there were to his Departmental website in the latest period for which figures are available.

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many page hits his Department's website received in 2007-08; and how many visitors it had.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Details of page views, and unique visitors, to www.defra.gov.uk are as follows for the period from January 2007 to March 2008:
	
		
			  Month  Page views  Unique visitors 
			 January 2007 7,897,493 463,278 
			 February 2007 7,168,703 454,404 
			 March 2007 6,305,847 464,599 
			 April 2007 5,923,718 440,434 
			 May 2007 6,123,164 472,407 
			 June 2007 5,887,534 397,278 
			 July 2007 3,702,581 281,650 
			 August 2007 7,465,179 563,665 
			 September 2007 7,127,162 549,364 
			 October 2007 6,515,290 538,359 
			 November 2007 6,239,148 489,447 
			 December 2007 5,298,042 352,346 
			 January 2008 6,232,896 471,100 
			 February 2008 5,162,162 464,058 
			 March 2008 5,576,376 490,557

Departmental Liability

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what dates in each of the last five years his Department informed the House of the creation of contingent liabilities relating to his Department or its non-departmental public bodies.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Within the five year period 2004 to 2008, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs informed the House of a contingent liability by laying a specific minute on only one occasion. On 6 October 2008, the Department informed the House that we wished to issue a Letter of Comfort to the Covent Garden Market Authority.
	The notes to the Department's annual resource accounts also identify contingent liabilities and these were laid before the House on the following dates:
	
		
			  Accounts  Date 
			 2003-04 28 October 2004 
			 2004-05 10 October 2005 
			 2005-06 30 October 2006 
			 2006-07 29 October 2007 
			 2007-08 17 July 2008

Departmental Manpower

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many full-time equivalent press officers  (a) work and  (b) provide assistance for his Department.

Huw Irranca-Davies: DEFRA currently employs 16 full-time press office and media relations staff and one part-time press officer.

Departmental Official Visits

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was spent on overnight accommodation by his Department's civil servants in the last 12 months.

Huw Irranca-Davies: From information held centrally, the core-Department's VAT inclusive expenditure on overnight accommodation for the period July 2007 to June 2008 inclusive was 2,643,363.32. Information on overnight accommodation by all of DEFRA's executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Planning Permission

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 1 September 2008,  Official Report, column 1484W, on departmental planning permission, what the address of the building was for each application; what type of permission was applied for in each case; and what licensing hours were requested in the licensing application.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The addresses of each site for the Departmental planning applications, included in the answer of 1 September 2008 , Official Report, column 1484W, and the type of application submitted are set out in the following table.
	The licensing hours requested for the site club bar at the Epsom Road, Guildford site were 24 hours, seven days a week. This was to bring the sports and social club into line with new licensing laws. The site has now been sold.
	
		
			  Romeo n n umber  Address  Town  Type  Works 
			 640 Kings House Reading Full Chiller installation 
			 640 Kings House Reading Full Reception refurbishment 
			 101 VLA Thirsk Thirsk Full Internal rearrangement 
			 516 Foss House, Kings Pool York Full Cycle storage and reception 
			 516 Foss House, Kings Pool York Full Temporary accommodation 
			 516 Foss House, Kings Pool York Full Solar panels and access modifications 
			 174 Lion House Alnwick Full New build 
			 174 Lion House Alnwick Full New build 
			 174 Lion House Alnwick Full Wind turbines 
			 174 Lion House Alnwick Full Biomass boiler 
			 103 VLA Penrith Penrith Full Biomass boiler 
			 272 VLA Newcastle Newcastle Full Biomass boiler 
			 101 VLA Thirsk Thirsk Full Biomass boiler 
			 643 Lancaster House Newcastle Full Reception extension 
			 143 Epsom Road Guildford Outline Change of use to residential 
			 129 Block C, Government Building Worcester Temporary Temporary accommodation 
			 129 Block C, Government Building Worcester Full Infill extension 
			 129 Block C, Government Building Worcester Full Infill extension 
			 129 Block C, Government Building Worcester Full Infill extension 
			 177 Edenbridge House Carlisle Temporary Portacabin 
			 598 FMD Watchtree Carlisle Full Storage tank 
			 557 Chapel Bank Works BCMS Workington Full New spur 
			 81 Barton Hall Preston Full Biomass boiler 
			 81 Barton Hall Preston Full Conservatory and kitchen area 
			 557 Chapel Bank Works BCMS Workington Full Wind turbine 
			 81 AH Preston, Barton Hall Preston Full Extension and car parking scheme 
			 196 Nobel House London Full Garden lightwell stairs 
			 87 VLA Weybridge Weybridge Full Wind turbines 
			 87 VLA Weybridge Weybridge Full Stores building 
			 707 Southampton Road Lyndhurst Temporary Portacabin

Departmental Procurement

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of invoices for goods and services procured from small- and medium-sized businesses were paid within 30 days of receipt by  (a) his Department and  (b) the agencies for which his Department is responsible in 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Unless otherwise negotiated as part of contract agreement(s), DEFRA's standard terms of payment for all suppliers are the payment of valid and agreed invoices within 30 days of date of receipt. From information held centrally, and the core Department's financial system, prompt payment performance for the financial year 2007-08 for the core Department and those executive agencies for which information is held is as follows:
	
		
			   Percentage paid within terms 
			 Core DEFRA 91.9 
			 Animal Health 92.2 
			 Government Decontamination Service 96.7 
			 Marine Fisheries Agency 90.3 
			 Veterinary Laboratories Agency 87.7 
		
	
	Information on the proportion of invoices for goods and services procured from small and medium-sized business paid within 30 days of receipt could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Information on the Rural Payments Agency prompt payment performance is being compiled and I will place this in the Library of the House when available.

Departmental Recruitment

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many civil servants in his Department were recruited through the fast stream; and what the average salary of those officials is.

Huw Irranca-Davies: As of the 30 of September 2008 we have 155 staff that joined through the Fast Stream. The average salary of these civil servants is 35,704.

Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) of 1 September 2008,  Official Report, column 1487W, on domestic wastes: contracts, when copies of projects WR0103 and WR0104 will be placed in the Library;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 1 September 2008,  Official Report, column 1487W, on domestic waste: waste disposal, if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's Review of Environmental and Health Effects of Waste Management;
	(3)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the research report commissioned by his Department Waste Strategy Review - SD0328;
	(4)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the research report commissioned by his Department, OU Household Waste Survey - EV01011;
	(5)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the report Household Waste Prevention, commissioned by his Department from Eunomia.

Jane Kennedy: All the reports requested are publicly available on DEFRA's website.

Eco-towns

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what studies his Department has commissioned into the suitability of the Co-operative Wholesale Society's Stoughton Farm Estate in Harborough for horticulture as part of its work on eco-towns.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 17 November 2008
	Neither this Department nor its agencies (Natural England and the Environment Agency) have carried out an assessment of the suitability of the Co-operative Wholesale Society's Stoughton Farm Estate for horticulture as part of its work on eco-towns.

Environment Protection

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to his Department's press release of 16 September 2008, on local environment quality surveys; if he will place in the Library an electronic version of the datasets for all the 175 local authorities in an Excel format.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Information on surveys of English local authorities' local environment surveys is available in pdf format on the DEFRA website at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/localenv/reports/index.htm
	It is not possible to provide this information in excel format without incurring disproportionate cost.

Fisheries

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department spent on fisheries protection in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2008.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Monitoring and protection and surveillance of marine fisheries is undertaken at sea, on the land and in the air. Since 1 October 2005, the responsibility in England and Wales has been undertaken by the Marine and Fisheries Agency, an Executive agency of DEFRA.
	In particular, fisheries protection at sea is undertaken by the Royal Navy Fisheries Protection Squadron on behalf of the MFA. The cost to the MFA of providing that service in 2007-08 was 6.1 million. Information on the costs incurred in 1997 are not readily available.

Flood Control

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions his Department has made to Ofwat with respect to the future pricing review on  (a) sewage flooding,  (b) preventing flooding from storm water drains and  (c) other matters.

Jane Kennedy: DEFRA has issued statutory Social and Environmental Guidance to Ofwat. This provides Ofwat with a steer on the key environmental and social policies that the Government expects it to contribute to in carrying out its role as the independent economic regulator of the water industry. It includes guidance on flooding and resilience. A copy is available on the DEFRA website.

Forests

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to increase public access to woodland.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Forestry Commission aims to increase the proportion of the population in priority areas that have access to woodland within four kilometres of where they live. It has a target for an additional 750,000 people to gain access to woodland over the next three years. It will work to achieve this through the targeting of incentives available through the English Woodland Grant scheme and through partnerships. Increased public access will be provided by the opening of access to existing woodland, the creation of new woodland on agricultural land and the regeneration of derelict and unused land to woodland.

Forests

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to increase woodland cover in England.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Our forestry policy, 'A Strategy for England's Trees, Woods and Forests', includes the objective to plant trees and create new woodland in priority places. Under the Rural Development Programme for England 2007-13 we have committed to creating 15,400 hectares of new woodlands with support from the English Woodland Grant scheme administered by the Forestry Commission. In addition there will be a contribution from smaller woodlands planted as part of Environmental Stewardship, the agri-environment grant scheme administered by Natural England.

Forests

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will bring forward proposals that no one should live more than 500 metres from a two hectare wood and four kilometres from a 20 hectare wood.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Forestry Commission is utilising the Woodland Access Standard in its targeting of incentives offered for management of existing woodland and creation of new woodland under the English Woodland Grant Scheme that will increase public access. It also uses this standard to help the monitoring and evaluation of its work.

Genetically Modified Organisms: Imports

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for which genetically modified varieties of  (a) soya,  (b) maize and  (c) rapeseed approval has been given for import in the UK for use in animal feed in the form of (i) oil, (ii) meal and (iii) whole grain.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 17 November 2008
	The following list gives the types of GM soya, maize and oilseed rape products that have EU approval for import into the EU for use in animal feed in any form. Details of all approved GM crops are available on the European Commission website.
	 Soybean
	A2704
	MON 40-3-2
	 Maize
	GA21
	59122
	1507xNK603
	NK603xMON810
	Bt11
	NK603
	MON810
	T25
	1507
	MON863
	MON863xMON810
	MON863xNK603
	 Oilseed rape
	Ms8xRf3
	GT73
	T45

Inland Waterways

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with British Waterways on progress towards its target to expand its waterways network by 2012.

Huw Irranca-Davies: I have had discussions with British Waterways on the strategic approach to getting best benefit from its waterways. The Government remain fully supportive of British Waterways' ambition to expand its network, provided this is not at the expense of compromising its ability to maintain its existing network through creating additional on-going financial liabilities.
	British Waterways is currently leading on a number of major waterway network expansion projects around the country, including the Bow Back Rivers in London's Olympic Park, the Liverpool Link, the Droitwich Canals and the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal.

Inspections

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many inspectors were employed by his Department in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 1997-98.

Huw Irranca-Davies: DEFRA was created in June 2001, and the following information relates to the period since then.
	In 2007-08, DEFRA, excluding the Executive agencies, employed 24 drinking water inspectors and 86 plant health and seeds inspectors.
	Information on the number of Inspectors working in DEFRA's Executive agencies over this period could be provided only by incurring disproportionate cost.

Mussels

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will instruct the Fish Health Inspectorate to reduce the five working days' notice required for a visual inspection of mussels on the seabed in an approved zone in the open sea west of Brixham harbour so as to provide an EU health certificate under Commission Decision 2007/104/EC.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 17 November 2008
	The Fish Health Inspectorate's requirement for five working days notice is a long standing arrangement and part of their citizens charter. The Fish Health Inspectorate guarantee to provide a visual inspection service within this time period, but will endeavour to meet shorter deadlines where possible, through dialogue with the exporter.

Nanotechnology

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many submissions to the voluntary reporting scheme for engineered nanoscale materials his Department received from  (a) industry and  (b) universities.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 17 November 2008
	DEFRA received 12 submissions to the UK voluntary reporting scheme for engineered nanomaterials; 10 from industry and two from universities.

Nanotechnology

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when his Department's review of the voluntary reporting scheme for engineered nanoscale materials will conclude; and when he expects to report its findings.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 17 November 2008
	DEFRA, in partnership with the UK Technology Strategy Board, funded a survey of industry and researcher views of the scheme by the Nanotechnology Knowledge Transfer Network. This concluded in October and will be published on the DEFRA website in due course. The ministerial group on nanotechnologies will next meet in December and will consider future options for the scheme, reflecting upon the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution's report and taking into account the European Commission's review of existing regulations.

Nature Conservation: EU Law

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether compensatory habitats for large developments provided for under the EU Habitats Directive may be located in a member state other than the one where the development takes place.

Huw Irranca-Davies: In circumstances where a development is allowed despite an assessment that it will have a significant adverse effect on a Natura 2000 site, the Habitats Directive requires the member state to take all compensatory measures necessary to ensure that the overall coherence of the Natura 2000 network is protected.
	The directive provides no further details, although non-statutory guidance from the European Commission states that compensatory habitat should relate to the same biogeographical region in the same member state and should be as close as possible to the habitat adversely affected by the development.

Nature Conservation: Madagascar

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to protect endangered animal species in Madagascar.

Huw Irranca-Davies: My Department's Darwin Initiative, our annual grants programme intended to use UK-based biodiversity expertise to assist countries rich in biodiversity but less so in resources, has funded 10 projects in Madagascar over the last 12 years. These include three on bat conservation, a wetlands project, a project on small vertebrates in the Tsingy Beneraha National Park, one on chameleon conservation within local communities, one on littoral forests, and two projects on training in biodiversity. A further two projects are under consideration.
	Investment under the Darwin Initiative towards projects in Madagascar has totalled just over 900,000.
	Another mechanism by which DEFRA funds species conservation projects is the Flagship Species Fund (FSF). Launched in 2001 in partnership with Fauna and Flora International, the FSF provides practical support for the conservation of endangered species and their habitats in developing countries. The FSF has funded a number of projects in Madagascar, including one on golden frogs, flying foxes and the conservation of 'orphan forests' in 2007.
	Although not funded by DEFRA, we are also aware that the British High Commission in Mauritius (responsible for the UK's relations with Madagascar) has funded several smaller reforestation projects out of their Bilateral fund. The High Commission also supports the Madagascar Action Plan (MAP), Madagascar's strategic five year plan. The plan includes eight commitments which aim to eradicate poverty and focus on medium and long-term development, one of which is conservation of the environment.

Noise: Oxfordshire

John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress his Department has made in conducting noise mapping of the M40 at Milton Common in Oxfordshire in accordance with the Environmental Noise (England) Regulations 2006; what consultations he has held on this matter; and when new noise levels will be set.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 13 November 2008
	I can confirm that this section of road has been noise mapped. Results are available on DEFRA's noise mapping website. No consultations have been held yet. A consultation will be held on the noise action plan for major roads soon.

Parliament Square: Demonstrations

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the written answer of 21 July 2008,  Official Report, column 748W, on noise pollution, whether the repeal of restrictions on demonstrations in Parliament Square will result in  (a) permanent encampments and  (b) unrestricted amplified broadcast noise being permitted.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 20 October 2008
	The Report of the Joint Committee on the Draft Constitutional Renewal Bill, published on 31 July 2008, included a number of recommendations on the Government's proposals to repeal sections 132-138 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 which pertain to demonstrations around Parliament. The recommendations of the Joint Committee addressed both permanent protests and noise nuisance and the Government will be responding imminently to the Report.

Performance Appraisal

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff in his Department did not achieve an acceptable assessment grade in their annual report in the latest reporting year for which figures are available.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Eight staff in DEFRA (excluding the executive agencies) did not achieve an acceptable assessment grade in their 2007-08 annual report.

Pesticides

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding is available from the public purse to support the registration of crop protection products for off-label use.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 17 November 2008
	The Government's long-term policy is that off-label applications should not benefit from funding from the public purse. However, as an interim measure, a small amount of Government support is provided in respect of those applications which, for legal reasons, cannot benefit from the subsidy available through the levy on pesticide sales.

Pesticides

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the total cost of the current process of registering crop protection products for off-label use.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 17 November 2008
	The current cost of processing an off-label approval is 1,700. Around 150 off-label applications are processed each year indicating a total cost for the process of 255,000 per year.

Pesticides: EU Action

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on the implementation of proposed EU regulations on crop protection chemicals; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The proposed regulation on the marketing of plant protection products will apply directly in UK law, though there will need to be some national implementing measures. Where national measures are required, they will be adopted in secondary legislation. The Department will consult on any implementing measures in the usual way at the appropriate stage.

Pesticides: EU Action

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with UK Members of the European Parliament on European Commission proposals for new regulations on pesticides.

Huw Irranca-Davies: My predecessor, Phil Woolas, discussed the proposals in Brussels with UK members of the Parliament's Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee. Officials have been in regular contact with UK MEPs about the proposals and have provided detailed briefing on the Parliament's proposed amendments.

Pesticides: Licensing

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the pesticide Imidacloprid was licensed for use in the UK.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Imidacloprid was first authorised for experimental use on 16 July 1991, and for commercial use on 24 June 1993.

Plain English

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many documents produced by his Department were submitted to the Plain English Campaign for approval for Crystal Mark status in each year since 2005; and how many documents achieved such status in each year.

Huw Irranca-Davies: My Department does submit documents for approval for Crystal Mark Status. However, information on the number of documents submitted and approved is not collated centrally and the figures could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Plants: EU Action

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what response he has made to the European Parliament's proposals on the draft Regulation concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The European Parliament's Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee adopted its second reading report on 5 November 2008. It contains many amendments, which we are still examining in detail. It is, however, clear that they have moderated the first reading amendments which would have had the greatest impact on the availability of plant protection products.

Plants: EU Action

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to ensure an assessment of the impact of the proposed EU regulation on the placing of plant protection products on the market on the UK ornamental horticulture and gardening industry is made prior to any implementation; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the potential impact on UK producers, suppliers and distributors of plant protection products as a consequence of the European Parliament's position on the proposal for a Regulation concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Pesticides Safety Directorate is revising its previous impact assessment (published in May 2008) in light of the second reading report adopted by the Parliament's Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee on 5 November 2008.

Plants: EU Action

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that the derogation contained in the Council of Ministers' Common Position of the proposal for a Regulation concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market for emergency use of plant protection products for up to five years will continue; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The United Kingdom will support retention of the derogation during the second reading negotiations with the European Parliament.

Plants: EU Action

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on the zoning proposals contained in the draft EU Regulation concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market; whether he is seeking any changes to these zones; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The United Kingdom welcomed the concept of zonal authorisation in the Commission's proposal and supports the compromise provisions adopted as part of the common position of the Agriculture Council in June 2008.

Plants: EU Action

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will commission a further analysis by experts of the proposed zones in regards to the proposed EU Regulation concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The United Kingdom is satisfied with the analysis prepared in 2006 by the Commission for their proposed regulation. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Plants: EU Action

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he has taken to address the potential impact on the British horticulture industry of the European Parliament's proposals on substitution contained in its position on the proposed EU Regulation concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Parliament's first reading report included amendments for identifying and approving candidates for substitution which could ultimately have eliminated a large number of active substances. The Parliament's Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee adopted its second reading report on the proposed regulation on 5 November 2008. It included modified amendments on candidates for substitution which would allow these substances to remain on the market until replacements were available. Consequently, these provisions would not be expected to have any significant impact on the British horticulture industry.

Property: Forestry Commission

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Forestry Commission has spent on maintaining its properties in each of the last five years.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 17 November 2008
	The Forestry Commission holds a wide range of property across England including offices, depots, visitor centres, agricultural buildings and domestic properties. The estimated cost of maintaining these over the last five years is:
	
		
			million 
			 2003-04 1.347 
			 2004-05 1.409 
			 2005-06 1.456 
			 2006-07 1.427 
			 2007-08 1.639

Smoking: Departmental Co-ordination

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the Department of Health on the effect of the public smoking ban on levels of  (a) noise nuisance and  (b) smoking-related litter.

Huw Irranca-Davies: I have had no discussions with the Department of Health on the effects of the smoking ban on levels of noise nuisance or litter. However, DEFRA and the Department of Health have in place a partnership agreement, a key component of which is a senior official level working group who, along with key delivery partners, provide a framework to improve the quality and appropriateness of the work between the two Departments. The working group held their second meeting in October.

Trade Unions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many civil servants in his Department were seconded to work for  (a) trades unions and  (b) the Trades Union Congress in each year since 2003.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The information requested could be provided only by incurring disproportionate cost.

Tuna: Conservation

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make it his policy to suspend bluefin tuna fishing in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean until such time as the contracting parties to the International Convention on Atlantic Tuna fully comply with the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna recommendations on bluefin.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) takes place in Marrakech from 17-24 November 2008. The UK's aim at this meeting will be to agree a total allowable catch for blue fin tuna that does not go above the limit recommended by the ICCAT Scientific Committee. In addition we will fully support the EU Commission in seeking enhanced control measures in the fishery including identifying spawning areas and setting a uniform fishing season and minimum landing size. We would hope that enhanced control measures could be agreed and implemented in time for the 2009 fishing season.

Waste Disposal: Fees and Charges

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the proposed pilot waste incentive schemes for the collection of household waste will include houses in multiple occupation.

Jane Kennedy: It will be for local authorities piloting waste incentive schemes to determine which households they wish a proposed waste reduction scheme to cover, within the legal framework set out in the Climate Change Bill. DEFRA published draft guidance for authorities in the summer, which considers this issue in more detail. We plan to publish the final version after Royal Assent to the Bill.

Waste Management

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what dates his Department's Waste Incentives Project Board has met to date; and what the membership of the Board is.

Jane Kennedy: The Waste Incentive Project Board has met on the following dates:
	19 December 2007
	17 January 2008
	29 February 2008
	23 April 2008
	27 June 2008
	14 August 2008
	17 October 2008.
	The board is comprised of DEFRA officials and representatives of the Local Government Association, Waste and Resources Action Programme, Department of Communities and Local Government, HM Treasury and Cabinet Office.

Waste Management

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the relationship there will be between regional waste strategy boards if established and joint waste authorities.

Jane Kennedy: Regional waste strategy boards are not created under legislation. There is no statutory relationship between them and joint waste authorities. It is anticipated that joint waste authorities will work constructively with regional waste strategy boards, should boards be established.

Water: Fees and Charges

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the remit is of Ofwat in relation to pricing for low income groups; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: Ofwat is the independent economic regulator of the water and sewerage industry in England and Wales
	In 1999 Ofwat received guidance from the Secretary of State of the then Department for the Environment, Transport and Regions on protecting vulnerable groups, including those on income related benefits.
	In approving charges schemes Ofwat has to have regard to section 2 of the Water Industry Act 1999, which includes a reference to the interests of certain types of customers including those with low incomes.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Border and Immigration Agency

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Border and Immigration Agency (BIA) operations there were in  (a) 2007 and  (b) the last 10 years; what records her Department maintains on (i) the number of arrests made during BIA operations and (ii) the number of BIA operations which take place during which no arrests are made; what approval from whom is required for BIA operations; what notice an establishment receives before a BIA operation takes place on its premises; what the maximum number of times an establishment may be raided in a 12 month period is; what obligations there are upon the BIA to avoid unnecessary disruption of business activities during its operations; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: Information on how many United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA) operations there were in 2007 and in the last 10 years and details of records maintained on the number of arrests made during UKBA operations are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Operational activity  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Total enforcement visits 11,884 14,443 15,512 
			 Number of arrests made 12,363 11,522 10,750 
			 Number of operations where no arrests made (1) 8,793 9,975 
			 (1 )Data not recorded prior to 2007-08 
		
	
	Prior to April 2005 the UKBA did not produce regular reports on numbers of individuals arrested. The data provided are management information. They may be subject to change and do not represent published national statistics.
	All UKBA operations are authorised in advance. Operations are grouped into three tiers (lower, middle and upper) and each tier is authorised at a different level. All UKBA operations are intelligence led. There is no limit on the number of times premises can be visited and the UKBA is under no obligation to avoid unnecessary disruption of the employer's business activities during its operations. Officers will always try to ensure that any disruption to members of the public during such operations is kept to a minimum.
	Employers can work in co-operation with UKBA. However, in certain cases employers may be reluctant to assist UKBA officials in the identification of illegal workers. In these instances no notice is given and officers are advised to obtain a warrant in order to gain entry to the premises.
	Chapter 31.5 of Enforcement Instructions and Guidance details the levels of authority for operations. Chapters 18.6 and 18.7 provide illegal working guidance, Copies of the document are placed in the Library of the House. It is also available to view at:
	http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/enforcement/oemsectione

Departmental Official Visits

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the  (a) date,  (b) location and  (c) purpose was of the meetings she had while in the United States in February 2008; and who attended each meeting.

Vernon Coaker: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary visited the US from 10 to 12 February 2008. In Washington DC she had meetings with the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drugs Enforcement Administration. In New York she met senior New York police officials, and visited the Gangs Resistance Education and Training (GREAT) Project.
	The meetings were to enhance co-operation and understanding between the UK and the US on issues such as tackling terrorism and organised crime.
	She was accompanied on her visit by senior officials from the Office of Security and Counter-Terrorism, the International Directorate, the Serious Organised Crime Agency, Press Office and members of her Private Office.

Departmental Pay

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of employees in her Department who received a performance-related bonus at their last appraisal were  (a) male,  (b) female,  (c) from an ethnic minority,  (d) disabled and  (e) not heterosexual; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The information required is not collated centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department has spent on targeted initiatives in  (a) inner cities,  (b) rural areas and  (c) seaside towns in each of the last 16 years.

Meg Hillier: Home Office accounting systems do not hold the information in the form required by the question.

Departmental Sick Leave

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of her Department's staff took more than  (a) five,  (b) 10,  (c) 15,  (d) 20,  (e) 25,  (f) 30,  (g) 35 and  (h) 40 days leave due to stress in each of the last five years, broken down by pay grade.

Phil Woolas: The Home Office staff sickness tables from 2003-04 to 2007-08 are shown in the following tables.
	The information is drawn from Home Office HQ, United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA) and Identity and Passport Service (IPS) personnel information management system, respectively. The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) is unable to provide a response without incurring disproportionate cost.
	Home Office and UKBA's data before 2005 is unavailable due to data migration to a new system which is reflected in the lower 2003-04 and 2004-05 figures. Calculations are based on a 12-month rolling period for an accurate representation of working days lost to stress-related sickness within each year.
	In 2006-07, the Home Office HQ included the following Departments: Communities Group, NOMS and OCJR, which have now all transferred following machinery of government changes. NOMS and OCJR left in May 2007 to join Ministry of Justice, and therefore have been included for year 2005-06 and 2006-07. Communities Group transferred to DCLG in May 2006 and is included in year 2005-06 sickness calculation.
	
		
			  Table 1: Home Office sickness for 2003-04 
			   Days 
			  Grade  ≥5 and =10  ≥10 and =15  ≥15 and =20  ≥20 and =25  ≥25 and =30  ≥30 and =35  ≥35 and =40  ≥40 
			 AA 2 2 1 0 1 0 0 5 
			 AO 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 EO 3 1 2 0 1 1 1 6 
			 HEO 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 
			 SEO 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 G7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 G6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 SCS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 6 3 3 0 2 2 2 14 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Home Office sickness for 2004 -0 5 
			   Days 
			  Grade  ≥5 and =10  ≥10 and =15  ≥15 and =20  ≥20 and =25  ≥25 and =30  ≥30 and =35  ≥35 and =40  ≥40 
			 AA 2 0 1 2 2 0 0 4 
			 AO 11 4 6 2 1 3 0 10 
			 EO 4 3 2 0 0 0 1 3 
			 HEO 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 SEO 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 G7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 G6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 SCS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 18 7 10 4 3 3 1 18 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Home Office sickness for 2005 -0 6 
			   Days 
			  Grade  ≥5 and =10  ≥10 and =15  ≥15 and =20  ≥20 and =25  ≥25 and =30  ≥30 and =35  ≥35 and =40  ≥40 
			 AA 13 18 4 9 2 2 5 20 
			 AO 41 39 27 15 7 8 6 60 
			 EO 45 34 16 16 16 20 5 71 
			 HEO 13 6 8 3 4 1 2 22 
			 SEO 5 3 5 0 2 1 1 11 
			 G7 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 4 
			 G6 1 1 0 1 0 2 0 2 
			 SCS 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Other 3 1 1 2 0 2 2 4 
			 Total 121 104 61 46 31 36 22 195 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 4: Home Office sickness for 2006 -0 7 
			   Days 
			  Grade  ≥5 and =10  ≥10 and =15  ≥15 and =20  ≥20 and =25  ≥25 and =30  ≥30 and =35  ≥35 and =40  ≥40 
			 AA 19 9 9 7 4 3 3 21 
			 AO 55 38 27 14 7 7 4 75 
			 EO 61 27 25 21 14 11 13 74 
			 HEO 14 12 12 10 9 5 1 23 
			 SEO 10 3 4 5 2 0 1 15 
			 G7 1 0 1 2 1 1 1 4 
			 G6 1 2 2 2 0 0 1 4 
			 SCS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 
			 Other 2 3 3 0 0 2 1 8 
			 Total 163 94 83 61 37 29 25 226 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 5: Home Office sickness for 2007 -0 8 
			   Days 
			  Grade  ≥5 and =10  ≥10 and =15  ≥15 and =20  ≥20 and =25  ≥25 and =30  ≥30 and =35  ≥35 and =40  ≥40 
			 AA 15 11 7 10 2 1 2 19 
			 AO 34 49 40 21 13 17 11 79 
			 EO 57 45 26 18 22 14 8 115 
			 HEO 16 14 12 16 7 7 6 38 
			 SEO 4 2 8 5 5 0 2 18 
			 G7 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 
			 G6 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 5 
			 SCS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Other 3 3 1 2 4 2 0 11 
			 Total 133 125 94 72 54 42 29 287

Departmental Telecommunications

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies spent on telecommunication costs in each year since 1997.

Phil Woolas: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 17 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 45-46W.

Departmental Written Questions

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many questions for written answer were tabled to her Department in Session  (a) 2002-03,  (b) 2003-04,  (c) 2004-05,  (d) 2005-06,  (e) 2006-07 and  (f) 2007-08 to date; and how many were (i) answered substantively and (ii) not answered on grounds of disproportionate cost.

Vernon Coaker: This information is not held centrally.

Deportation: Standards

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the evidential basis is for statements by Ministers in her Department that somebody is removed from the United Kingdom every eight minutes.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 20 October 2008
	 There were 63,365 removals, including voluntary departures, from the UK in 2007. As the UK Border Agency operates 24 hours a day and seven days a week this equates to a removal taking place, on average, every eight minutes
	National Statistics on removals from the UK are published in table 6.1 of the Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 2007 bulletin. Copies of this publication are available from the Library of the House and the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs08/hosb1008.pdf.
	The removals figure includes enforced removals, persons refused entry at port and subsequently removed (including cases dealt with at juxtaposed controls), persons departing voluntarily after enforcement action had been initiated against them, persons leaving under Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes run by the International Organization for Migration and persons who it has been established have left the UK without informing the immigration authorities.
	This figure is rounded to the nearest five and is provisional.

Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children are held at Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 6 October 2008
	 On 30 October 2008, there were two children with their mother in detention at Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre. Children are only ever held with their parents and normally spend no longer than 72 hours in the centre.

Entry Clearances

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for further leave to remain have been received in each of the last 10 years; how many applications were granted; how many applicants came originally  (a) for the purposes of work,  (b) to study and  (c) for other reasons; and for each category, how many dependants were brought to the UK.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 3 November 2008
	The following shows the number of applications made since January 2002, and of those how many were granted. This is the date from when fully electronic consideration and recording commenced. Prior to that paper based records were in use. The data are separated out by year, case type group and main/Dependant applications.
	Figures are rounded to the nearest five.
	Because of rounding, figures may not add up to total shown.
	The figures quoted are not provided under National Statistics protocols and have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.
	
		
			  In country leave to remain applications received each year since January 2002 (and of those the quantity subsequently granted) 
			Main applicant applications  Dependant applications 
			   Type  Granted  Total received  Granted  Total received 
			 2002 Employment 81,665 94,350 19,190 21,710 
			  Student 124,095 146,095 14,055 18,960 
			  Other 50,345 76,175 11,340 17,205 
			  Total 256,100 316,620 44,590 57,875 
			   
			 2003 Employment 104,865 122,520 29,780 32,840 
			  Student 175,790 210,745 20,335 25,380 
			  Other 54,715 86,280 13,950 21,355 
			  Total 335,375 419,545 64,070 79,570 
			   
			 2004 Employment 92,540 114,960 42,215 47,855 
			  Student 149,165 183,225 20,235 25,445 
			  Other 52,135 76,520 13,455 19,490 
			  Total 293,840 374,705 75,905 92,790 
			   
			 2005 Employment 78,840 92,985 44,490 49,345 
			  Student 127,850 157,340 19,855 24,665 
			  Other 43,640 62,390 10,085 14,785 
			  Total 250,330 312,715 74,435 88,790 
			   
			 2006 Employment 97,200 110,250 59,820 65,255 
			  Student 131,560 158,485 22,115 26,710 
			  Other 38,450 55,840 6,195 10,195 
			  Total 267,205 324,58 88,130 102,165 
			   
			 2007 Employment 84,400 102,715 45,715 52,980 
			  Student 131,855 164,785 24,460 30,580 
			  Other 52,155 75,180 6,655 11,325 
			  Total 268,410 342,680 76,825 84,885 
			   
			 2008 Employment 46,475 54,325 27,690 31,340 
			  Student 67,235 91,825 14,070 18,675 
			  Other 42,895 62,410 5,990 9,815 
			  Total 156,605 208,565 47,750 59,825 
			   
			  Grand total 1,827,860 2,299,405 471,700 575,900 
			  Notes: 1. The data provided cover applications made between 1 January 2002 and the 30 September 2008. Therefore the data for 2008 are for an incomplete year. 2. The data are based on in country non-asylum leave to remain applications made between the above dates (not Indefinite Leave to Remain). 3. Granted in the table refers to a grant of limited leave to Remain only (not indefinite leave to remain) 4. Type in the table refers to the case type of the application made and actually represent the grouping of many different immigration casetypes. 5. This data differ from that published under the National Statistics Protocol in that they are based on date of application rather than date of despatch. 6. Figures are rounded to the nearest 5 7. Because of rounding, figures may not add up to total shown. 8. The figures quoted are not provided under National Statistics protocols and have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many universities, further education colleges and other educational institutions had applied for licences to sponsor foreign students by 1 October 2008.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 11 November 2008
	 The number of educational establishments which have applied for licences to sponsor foreign students under the points based system is 541.
	The breakdown is:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Universities 19 
			 Further education colleges 169 
			 Other educational establishments 353 
		
	
	The figures quoted are not provided under National Statistics protocols and have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.

Essex Police Authority: Freedom of Information

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussion  (a) she,  (b) Ministers in her Department and  (c) officials in her Department have had with Essex Police Authority on the release of information by them under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: Neither the Home Secretary, nor Home Office Ministers and officials have had any recent discussions with Essex police authority on the release of information by them under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Foreign Workers: Health Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what data her Department holds on the number of economic migrants working in the care and health sectors.

Phil Woolas: Applications to work in care and health sectors are not separately identified in employment routes databases. However, volumes can be reported using the following categories:
	Health and Medical Services;
	Social Worker;
	Acupuncturist;
	Biomedical Scientist;
	Chiropodist/Podiatrist;
	Chiropractor;
	Dental Surgeon;
	Assistant Dentist;
	Dental Anaesthetist;
	Dietician;
	Optician;
	Assistant Optometrist;
	Medical Practitioner;
	Midwife;
	Nurse;
	Physiotherapist;
	Psychiatrist;
	Psychologist;
	Pharmacist;
	Occupational Therapist;
	Radiographer;
	Speech Therapist;
	Social Worker;
	Other Health/Medical Occ;
	Doctor;
	Hospital Consultant;
	Senior Carer;
	Dental Nurse;
	Senior House Officer;
	Specialist Registrar;
	Foundation Programme Doctor;
	Alternative/complementary medicine specialist;
	Anaesthetist;
	Care assistants and home carers;
	Consultant, hospital;
	Dental Hygienist;
	General Practitioner;
	Manager, care home;
	Manager, health and social services;
	Nursing auxiliaries and assistants;
	Optician;
	Researcher (medical);
	Residential wardens and Houseparents;
	Surgeon;
	Technician, medical;
	Ward Sister; and
	Warden (care home).

Human Rights

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with the Ministry of Justice in relation to the universal periodic review by the UN Human Rights Council.

Phil Woolas: The Home Office has been in discussion with the Ministry of Justice about the review since December 2007. Home Office Ministers saw the National Report prior to publication, which formed the basis for discussion at the oral hearing.

Illegal Immigrants: Plymouth

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has received reports on whether an illegal immigrant and alleged murderer is working in a care home in Plymouth.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 21 April 2008
	In 2005 an intelligence assessment was carried out covering the south and south west of England. Its subject was illegal employment by foreign nationals. The assessment appeared in  T he Sunday Times on 30 March 2008 as a result of a leak.
	Intelligence contained in the report suggested that a person who had previously worked at a care home in Plymouth was a Filipino national who had false references and may be wanted for murder in the Philippines.
	Subsequent inquiries suggested that the person who had been employed at the care home was not the same person who was wanted for murder.

Immigrants: Housing

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 16 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1827W on immigration: housing, what record is kept of the number of private sector providers of property for the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) transferring existing property to the private rented market; how many private sector providers provided property to NASS in each year since its inception; and how many private sector properties were provided for NASS in the same period.

Phil Woolas: The United Kingdom Border Agency does not keep a record of the numbers of properties transferred to the private rented market. However I do refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 11 June 2008,  Official Report, column 336W.
	The number of private sector accommodation providers used since the inception of the National Asylum Support Service in 2000 has changed over the years. During the whole period 2000 to 2003 there were 10 private sector providers providing property to NASS. The numbers of private providers reduced to nine in 2004 and the original 10 providers reduced to seven in 2005. In 2006 replacement accommodation contracts were awarded to nine private sector providers. This figure has recently reduced to eight.
	We do not hold records of the numbers of properties procured by accommodation providers because the contracts are framed in terms of outcomes.

Immigration

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how she proposes to give effect to the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal's decision in the case of Mrs E.K., wife of Mr S.Z. of Aylesbury, and the Entry Clearance Officer, Islamabad (reference OA 52562/2007).

Phil Woolas: holding answer 17 November 2008
	The Tribunal's decision was received in Islamabad on 7 November. A letter was sent to the applicant on 13 November asking her to submit her passport and a TB certificate. The visa will be issued on receipt of these documents.

Immigration Controls

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were applying for settlement in the UK under each employment route when the qualifying period for settlement was increased from four to five years in April 2006.

Phil Woolas: The following table shows the number of applications for settlement in the year prior to the qualifying period being increased (1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006) and in the year post the qualifying period being increased (1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007) broken down by each employment route.
	The criteria include main applicants only and exclude dependants.
	The figures quoted are not provided under national statistics protocols and have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.
	
		
			  Employment route  Pre-rule change  (1 April 2005-31 March 2006)  Post- rule change  (1 April 2006-31 March 2007) 
			 Airline employees 10 5 
			 Armed Forces 1,340 2,720 
			 Business 45 15 
			 BUS under EC Association Agreement 2,235 260 
			 Highly Skilled Migrants 760 205 
			 Innovator 15 5 
			 Investors 50 5 
			 MOR, Missionaries/Members of religious orders 550 135 
			 Overseas Domestic Workers 950 255 
			 Overseas Dom Worker in diplomatic households 65 25 
			 Overseas government employees 25 25 
			 Reps of overseas news Agency 15 5 
			 Retired persons of Independent means 25 5 
			 Sole Representative 55 10 
			 UK Ancestry 5,650 570 
			 Work Permit Employment 28,780 5,015 
			 Writers, composers and artists 40 10 
			 Total 40,620 9,265

Immigration Controls

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans  (a) she and  (b) the UK Border Agency has to hold information sessions for hon. Members and their caseworkers on the points-based scoring system in locations other than London.

Phil Woolas: The UK Border Agency held information sessions for MPs and their caseworkers on the points based system in London in July.
	Two further events are planned in London on 19 November. Where there is a demand, the UK Border Agency will arrange further information sessions outside London.

Immigration Controls: Higher Education

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether universities will be permitted to be licence holders for sponsored researchers under the points-based migration system.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 17 November 2008
	Under the points-based system, sponsored researchers could come to the UK through the Tier 5: Temporary WorkersGovernment Authorised Exchange sub-category. The policy framework for this category requires an overarching body to act as sponsor of a scheme, as well as the support of a UK Government Department for the scheme and sponsor. Individual employers are not permitted to act as sponsors of migrants participating in schemes, and universities will not be permitted to become licensed sponsors under this category.

Immigration Officers: Sick Leave

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) immigration officers and  (b) other Border and Immigration Agency staff took long-term sick leave in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: The numbers of Immigration Officers and other UK Border Agency staff who have taken long term sick leave in each of the last three calendar years as recorded on our personnel system (Adelphi) are shown in the following table. The figures reflect improvements in recording and monitoring and should be judged in this context.
	We are unable to provide accurate data previous to 2005 as these were not recorded centrally.
	
		
			  Number 
			   Immigration officers  All other border and immigration agency staff 
			 2005 274 1,125 
			 2006 282 1,194 
			 2007 503 1,959

Islam: Marriage

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many mosques  (a) were registered and  (b) had applied for registration to perform joint civil and religious marriage ceremonies at the most recent date for which figures are available.

Meg Hillier: The Places of Worship Registration Act 1855 provides for places of religious worship, except those of the established Church, to be certified to the Registrar General. A building has to be certified as a place of religious worship before it can be registered for marriages by the Registrar General under the Marriage Act 1949.
	The total number of buildings currently recorded by the Registrar General as certified places of meeting for religious worship by those professing the Muslim religion in England and Wales is 809. Of those 159 buildings are registered for marriage.
	The Marriage Act draws a distinction between civil and religious marriages. Where a marriage is conducted in a registered building it may be solemnized according to such form and ceremony as the persons contracting the marriage see fit to adopt. Civil marriages may only take place in a register office or other building approved for that purpose by the local authority in which it is situated.
	The register of buildings registered for marriage is not held in a format that can provide the total number of applications since the 1855 Act was implemented.

Members: Correspondence

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Minister of State for Borders and Immigration plans to reply to the enquiry from the right hon. Member from Birmingham, Ladywood of 7 October 2008 on the allowed appeal and issue of a visa to Ahmed Sharif Ali (Post reference: 92727 Addis Ababa).

Phil Woolas: A reply was sent from Visa Services Directorate on 11 November 2008.

Members: Correspondence

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letters of 10 September and 9 October 2005 from the hon. Member for Weston-Super-Mare on behalf of his constituent Mr Gordon Butcher.

Phil Woolas: The chief executive of the United Kingdom Border Agency wrote to the hon. Member on 12 November 2008.

Oleg Deripaska

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether information held by the US authorities on Oleg Deripaska was available to the UK authorities before a visa was issued to him; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 27 October 2008
	It is not Home Office policy to comment on individual cases.

Passports: Pensioners

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many pensioners in Enfield North constituency have received a free passport in each year since the introduction of the policy.

Meg Hillier: The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) does not ask passport holders to keep their address up to date on our database. Therefore, IPS cannot identify the number of current residents by geographical area that have taken advantage of the scheme to issue free passports to those applicants born on or before 2 September 1929.
	Over 520,000 free passports have been issued since the scheme was introduced in 2004 as a way of recognising all those who had contributed to the national effort during the second world war.

Police: Finance

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the expenditure on  (a) direct staff cost,  (b) operational support cost,  (c) business support cost and  (d) cost excluding sustaining overhead under activity-based costing analysis was on (i) reducing crime, (ii) investigating crime, (iii) promoting public safety and (iv) providing assistance in each financial year since 2004-05.

Phil Woolas: The Department's expenditure on crime for the last three years, for which there are audited figures, is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Crime reduction and community safety group 
			  000 
			   Outturn 
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			  Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL)
			  Cut crime, especially violent, drug and alcohol related crime 428,230 347,800 381,184 
			  Of which:
			 Crime Reduction 210,206 161,155 193,059 
			 Criminal Records Bureau -999 -18,202 -25,394 
			 Firearms Compensation 6   
			 Drugs 206,904 200,382 211,472 
			 Security Industry Authority 12,113 4,465 2,047 
			 
			  Lead visible, responsive and accountable policing 5,515,366 5,955,449 6,028,158 
			  Of which:
			 Police (inc grants) 4,987,320 5,393,649 5,335,705 
			 Independent Police Complaints Commission 24,086 26,374 31,272 
			 Central Police Training and Development Agency 83,283 102,799 70,559 
			 Police Information Technology Organisation 167,814 196,113 203,569 
			 National Criminal Intelligence Service 83,835 77,906  
			 National Crime Squad 161,767 152,070  
			 Serious Organised Crime Agency 7,261 6,538 387,053 
			 
			  Capital DEL
			  Cut crime, especially violent, drug and alcohol related crime 30,971 25,036 33,879 
			  Of which:
			 Crime Reduction 24,785 23,805 11,717 
			 Drugs 2,174 800 20,262 
			 Security Industry Authority 4,012 431 1,900 
			 
			  Lead visible, responsive and accountable policing 410,923 444,438 423,008 
			  Of which:
			 Police (inc grants) 307,594 342,128 173,249 
			 Independent Police Complaints Commission 3,744 540 5 
			 Central Police Training and Development Agency 15,777 6,747 132,573 
			 Police Information Technology Organisation 62,808 83,422 2,175 
			 National Criminal Intelligence Service 4,905 2,439 73,320 
			 National Crime Squad 8,977 6,845  
			 Serious Organised Crime Agency 7,118 2,317 41,686 
			 
			  Administration budget
			  Cut crime, especially violent, drug and alcohol related crime 17,881 6,340 10,168 
			  Lead visible, responsive and accountable policing 27,834 35,857 31,671 
			 
			  UK Border Agency (UKBA)
			  Enforcement and compliance  147,211 178,208 
			  Criminal casework  3,003 13,559 
		
	
	To provide the detail requested in the question could not be done without incurring disproportionate cost. Figures for UKBA 2004-05 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Police: Misconduct

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of procedures in place for the investigation of alleged misconduct by the police; what recent representations she has received on this issue; what response was given; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: In 2004, the then Home Secretary commissioned a review of the current arrangements for dealing with police misconduct. The Review of Police Disciplinary Arrangements was the review conducted by William Taylor CBE QPM into the effectiveness of disciplinary arrangements for police officers. It made a number of recommendations, including that the procedures for dealing with the unsatisfactory performance of police officers should be reviewed. It was published in 2005 and its recommendations were accepted by Ministers. The Police Advisory Board for England and Wales (PABEW) took forward the process for implementing the recommendations. As a result, new Police (Performance) Regulations 2008, Police (Conduct) Regulations 2008 and Police Appeals Tribunals Rules 2008 were approved by both Houses of Parliament and the new procedures will come into force on 1 December 2008.

Police: Training

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what programmes there are for police officers to be posted overseas to help train overseas police forces in  (a) secure and  (b) insecure environments.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 17 November 2008
	 UK police officers engage in a wide range of training and other police assistance activities, both short and long term, throughout the world. The environments in which they operate will vary, from stable countries to countries where the UK is contributing to Peace Support Operations, including Iraq and Afghanistan. In these cases, risk assessments will have been carried out prior to deployment and arrangements made to safeguard the officers' security as far as possible while delivering the assistance.

Police: Wales

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) police community support officers and  (b) civilian support officers there were in (i) Vale of Clwyd constituency and (ii) North Wales (A) in 1997 and (B) at the latest date for which figures are available; and what the policing budget was in each area in (1) 1997 and (2) 2007 in real terms.

Vernon Coaker: The available data for North Wales are given in the following table. Police personnel data are not collected by parliamentary constituency.
	The net budget requirement for North Wales Police Authority in 1997-98 was 71.3 million, increasing to 124.8 million in 2007-08. This is a real terms increase of 37.8 per cent.
	Resource for the Vale of Clwyd is an operational matter for the chief constable and police authority.
	
		
			  Police community support officer strength (FTE)( 1)  and police staff( 2)  strength (FTE)( 1)  for North Wales police 
			  As at 31 March each year  PCSOs( 5)  Staff 
			 1997(3)  476 
			 2003(4) 0 703 
			 2008 159 774 
			 (1) Total strength is based on full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number, because of rounding there may be an apparent discrepancy between these totals and the totals in other tables. (2) Civilian staff have been referred to as police staff since March 2003. Figures exclude traffic wardens, police community support officers and designated officers (s.38). (3) Figures exclude those staff on career breaks or maternity/paternity. (4) Strength figures as at 31 March 2003 onwards include those staff on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. Therefore these figures are not comparable with those provided for other years in the table. (5) Police community support officers were introduced in statute in 2002, therefore data are not available prior to 2002-03.

UK Border Agency: Lost Property

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate her Department has made of the number of case files of asylum and immigration applicants lost by the UK Border Agency or its predecessor bodies in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: The information is not available in the format requested. The level of UK Border Agency case files not currently shown with a clear location is less than 0.2 per cent. of the Agency's total holding.

JUSTICE

Bill of Rights

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects to publish his Green Paper on a British Bill of Rights; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: The Government have noted with interest the recent Report of the Joint Committee on Human Rights in relation to a Bill of Rights for the UK and expects to publish a paper on rights and responsibilities shortly.

Civil Service Commission: Payments

Edward O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what arrangements there are for the Civil Service Commission to transfer payments to  (a) suppliers and  (b) its staff in circumstances where the payment has not been made on the due date.

Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
	I understand the hon. Member is referring to the Office of the Civil Service Commissioners. The Cabinet Office administers payments in respect of the Office's suppliers and staff.
	The Cabinet Office's procedures are designed to support its policy to pay undisputed invoices within the terms of the contract; salaries on the due date; and valid staff expenses within five working days.

Compensation: Industrial Diseases

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects to publish the Government's response to the consultation on pleural plaques; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: The Government's consultation on pleural plaques closed on 1 October, and the responses are currently being analysed. We will seek to publish a response paper outlining the way forward as soon as possible.

Compensation: Industrial Diseases

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many responses he has received to the consultation on pleural plaques; how many were from  (a) trades unions,  (b) members of the public and  (c) insurers; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: A total of 224 responses were received to the consultation paper. Of these, 125 responses were received from individuals and 30 from the legal profession. 18 responses were received from insurers and defendant organisations. There were 15 responses from trade union bodies, and 12 from Members of Parliament. Seven responses were received from employers and business organisations; four from medical professionals; four from organisations representing asbestos victims; and two from academics. In addition there were responses from a devolved administration; a non departmental public body; a constituency political party; an actuarial body; a charity for education in health and safety; a statutory public body; and a consultancy firm specialising in occupational environmental and public health risks.

Compensation: Industrial Diseases

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the consultation on pleural plaques, how many responses were in favour of  (a) the status quo,  (b) a compensation scheme and  (c) a change in the law to permit damages claims; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: The responses to the questions contained in the consultation paper are currently being analysed. A full summary together with the Government's response will be published as soon as possible.

Courts Service: Costs

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost to the Courts Service of litigants in person was in each year since 1997.

Bridget Prentice: There are no data held centrally on the costs to Her Majesty's Courts Service of litigants in person.

Courts: Control Orders

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress has been made on point 8 of the then Prime Minister's security measures announced on 5 August 2005, on the expansion of court capacity to deal with control orders.

Bridget Prentice: We monitor the volume of control orders to ensure that we continue to have the capacity to deal with any increase in volumes. My Department has led and managed a Works Programme, which has provided 14 high security courtrooms to deal with terrorist cases at key locations across England and Wales. We keep under review the volume of control orders and our capacity to hear all terrorist cases, particularly those that require a higher level of security in order to ensure that our estate can meet any increased workload in the future. We are satisfied that at present the courts have sufficient capacity and that enough judges have been identified to deal with these Orders.

Departmental Cost Effectiveness

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will place in the Library a copy of the recent presentation by Sir Suma Chakrabarti to senior officials in his Department on cost savings across his Department.

Jack Straw: I refer the right hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Cambridge (David Howarth) on 17 November 2008,  Official Report, column 20W.

Departmental Internet

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) page hits and  (b) visitors his Department's website received in 2007-08.

Shahid Malik: The Ministry of Justice website:
	www.justice.gov.uk
	was launched on 9 May 2007. Monthly page impressions and visits figures for the year from May 2007 to March 2008 are as follows:
	
		
			   Page impressions  Visits 
			 May (from 9 May) 490,722 140,891 
			 June 609,632 182,358 
			 July 659,066 198,045 
			 August 605,483 186,261 
			 September 682,046 193,475 
			 October 832,057 267,060 
			 November 815,189 264,258 
			 December 613,200 197,628 
			 January 906,944 291,477 
			 February 830,664 272,590 
			 March 819,528 278,226 
			 Total 7,864,531 2,472,269

Departmental Written Questions

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many questions for written answer were tabled to his Department and its predecessor in Session  (a) 2002-03,  (b) 2003-04,  (c) 2004-05,  (d) 2005-06,  (e) 2006-07 and  (f) 2007-08 to date; and how many were (i) answered substantively and (ii) not answered on grounds of disproportionate cost.

Michael Wills: The Ministry of Justice and its predecessor Departments have electronic records since the 2004-05 Session, therefore, the information for 2002-03 and 2003-04 is not available. The following table shows the number of ordinary written and named day Commons questions tabled to my Department and its predecessors from the 2004 Session.
	
		
			  Session  House of Commons ordinary written and named day questions tabled 
			 2004-05 501 
			 2005-06 2,700 
			 2006-07 2,560 
			 200714 November 2008 4,247 
		
	
	The information requested on how many questions were answered substantively and those that were not answered due to disproportionate costs are not held centrally, however, we are looking to adapt our database so the information is recorded from the new session.

Electoral Register

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the proportion of the electorate who have declined to have their details published in the edited version of the electoral register.

Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated November 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question asking what estimate has been made of the proportion of the electorate who have declined to have their details published in the edited version of the electoral register. (236515)
	The latest figures for the number of people who registered to vote in the United Kingdom, for local government and European elections, relate to 1 December 2007. At this date the proportion of the electorate who declined to have their details published in the edited version of the register was 39 per cent.

Islam: Legal Systems

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to write to the hon. Member for Wycombe in fulfilment of the commitment given by the Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on 16 October 2008,  Official Report, column 661, on Sharia law.

Bridget Prentice: I will respond to the hon. Member before the end of November.

Licensing: Television

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been fined for television licence fee evasion in each of the last five years; and how much was collected in fines in each such year.

Maria Eagle: The available information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of offenders fined and sum of all fines for offences relating to television licence evasion( 1) , 2002 to 2006 
			   Number of offenders fined  Sum of fines imposed () 
			 2002 94,569 10,448,919 
			 2003 78,813 9,043,774 
			 2004 96,155 11,104,361 
			 2005 117,907 14,362,466 
			 2006 113,874 14,748,188 
			 (1) The TV licensing provisions of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 were replaced by new provisions in the Communications Act 2003 which came into effect on 1 April 2004.  Notes: 1. These data are on the principle offence basis. 2. These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. 3. Following quality checks, data for certain police force areas within corresponding regions are not considered reliable enough for publication.  Source: OMS Analytical Services. 
		
	
	The overall payment rate for all financial penalties by financial year is shown in the following table. These data are not collected by offence.
	
		
			   Payment rate (Percentage) 
			 2004-05 80 
			 2005-06 83 
			 2006-07 92 
			 2007-08 95 
		
	
	Data prior to April 2003 are not available in a comparable format.
	Court proceedings data for 2007 will be available in late November.

Prison Service: Disciplinary Proceedings

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prison officers were dismissed in connection with drug-related offences in each year since 1997.

David Hanson: According to records held centrally by the National Offender Management Service, the numbers of public sector prison officers dismissed in connection with drug-related offences in each year since 2005, is contained in the following table:
	
		
			  Calendar year  Dismissals 
			 2005 4 
			 2006 3 
			 2007 1 
			 2008(1) 3 
			 Total 11 
			 (1) This covers the period to 30 October 2008 and does not include any cases which are subject to internal appeal. 
		
	
	Information on disciplinary cases before 2005 is not held centrally by the National Offender Management Service and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by contact each of the 138 prisons across the service.
	There will have been occasions where drugs offences were referred immediately to the police (e.g. where staff were found in possession of items, which were believed to be drugs, during an entry or exit search) and no internal disciplinary action was taken, other than to dismiss the member of staff for receipt of a criminal conviction. These cases are not always reported centrally as drug offences and, as such, may not be included in the information provided. In addition, the central database does not include cases where staff have resigned before the conclusion of internal disciplinary proceedings.

Prisoner Escapes

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners have escaped while under escort from prison in each year since 1997; and how many of those escapes were from  (a) private taxis and  (b) custom-built cellular vehicles.

David Hanson: Most prisoner transfers are made by secure cellular vehicle. On occasions it is necessary to use taxis for transporting prisoners, mainly to hospital. On these occasions a risk assessment is conducted to ensure that the use of a taxi is appropriate. Only one prisoner has escaped while being transported by taxi in this period.
	Data in the following table show the number of prisoners in England and Wales who have escaped from escort between April 1997 and March 2008 broken down by  (a) private taxi hire  (b) custom built cellular vehicles.
	
		
			   Total KPI escapes from escort  O f which:  e scapes from taxis and cellular vehicles 
			  Financial year  HMPS escort  Contractor escort  Private taxi hire  Contractor secure cellular vehicle  Prison secure cellular vehicle 
			 1997-98 10 72  11  
			 1998-99 7 55  4  
			 1999-2000 8 59  9  
			 2000-01 8 58  17  
			 2001-02 11 40  2  
			 2002-03 12 33  7 1 
			 2003-04 6 33  3  
			 2004-05 8 28 1 3  
			 2005-06 8 17  5 1 
			 2006-07 6 19  3  
			 2007-08 2 16  2  
			  Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. 
		
	
	Further information can be found at the Prison Service website:
	http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/assets/documents/10003541prison_escapes_dec_07.pdf
	http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/assets/documents/l0003542prison_escort_escapes_dec_07.pdf
	http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/assets/documents/10003543contracted_escort_escapes_dec_07.pdf

Prisoners: Drugs

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) male and  (b) female prisoners entered prison needing treatment for drug addiction in each year since 1997.

David Hanson: The information requested is not recorded centrally by the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) and could be obtained only by surveying 138 establishments, which could be done only at disproportionate cost. Drug treatment need is determined on a local basis. NOMS relies on epidemiological surveys to make central estimates of treatment need. These surveys suggest that on average 55 per cent. of prison entrants have a serious drug problem.

Prisoners: Employment

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will meet representatives of the Howard League for Penal Reform to discuss the findings of the independent evaluation carried out by Professor Penny Green at King's College London into its social enterprise employing prisoners in HMP Coldingley.

David Hanson: I visited the Barbed design studio at HMP Coldingley and met Frances Crook, director of the Howard League for Penal Reform, to discuss its social enterprise venture in July 2007. I am willing to meet the Howard League again to discuss Professor Green's evaluation report.

Prisoners: Employment

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment his Department has made of the possible benefits of meaningful employment for long term prisoners, including the impact of any taxation contributions; what consideration was made of the Howard League for Penal Reform's social enterprise in HMP Coldingley in forming that assessment; and what assessment he has made of the consequences of the closure of the social enterprise at HMP Coldingley.

David Hanson: The social benefits of providing employment in prisons, such as providing offenders with valuable skills to aid their resettlement back into the community and to reduce re-offending, have long been recognised.
	Significant numbers of prisoners are meaningfully employed on a daily basis in a range of activities. This includes essential work producing a variety of goods for internal consumption and providing in-house services such as catering, cleaning and laundries. This reduces the cost of imprisonment and has an element of restitution while producing real work opportunities. Employment in prison also acts as an aid to good order and control and aids resettlement through skills and qualifications.
	Increasingly, prisoners are employed to carry out work in partnership with other organisations and there are a number of employer partnerships with private industry that not only provide real employment and training but also employment on release. The Government are keen to grow these initiatives so that increasing number of prisoners and society can benefit. In addition to those working in individual prisons and probation areas there is also an existing corporate alliance with employers from the private, public and third sectors which informs strategy and delivery.
	Ultimately it was the Howard League for Penal Reform that has taken the decision to close the small design studio workshop at HM Prison Coldingley. The Prison Service has been supportive of this project from the outset. Furthermore, the Service has been willing to give further consideration to any proposals to expand the same business model into other establishments. Despite widespread publicity, support from the Prison Service no other private or voluntary sector has shown interest in replicating all aspects of the Howard League work.
	Although the Howard League closure is to be regretted the consequences on the number of prisoners employed is limited as the workshop currently employs some three prisoners and has never employed more than six prisoners at any one time. Workshop expansion at Coldingley is already planned and this will become operational early in 2009.

Prisoners: Employment

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what hours were being worked each day by prisoners at the Howard League for Penal Reform social enterprise in HMP Coldingley in its  (a) first month and  (b) last month of operation; and what assessment he has made of the effect of the reduction of working hours at the prison.

David Hanson: In October 2005, six prisoners were employed in the Barbed design studio workshop at HM Prison Coldingley, which was jointly established by the Howard League for Penal Reform and HM Prison Service. The working week was as follows:
	 Monday to Thursday:
	8.15 am to 11:45 am
	1.45 pm to 4.45 pm
	 Friday:
	8.15 am to 11.45 am
	These times include 15 minute movement time to work am and pm.
	In October 2008, three prisoners were employed in the workshop. The working week was as follows:
	 Monday to Thursday:
	8.45 am to 11.45 am
	1.45pm to 4.45 pm
	 Friday:
	8.30 am to 11.45 am
	These times include 15 minute movement time to work am and pm.

Prisons: Crimes of Violence

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many prison officers have been assaulted whilst at work in female prisons in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many prison officers have been assaulted whilst at work in male prisons in each year since 1997.

David Hanson: The information is set out in the following table. It is subject to important qualifications. The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) incident reporting system processes high volumes of data that are constantly being updated. The numbers provide an indication of overall numbers but should not be interpreted as absolute. Assault data are complex and the numbers need to be interpreted with caution.
	The recorded incidents of assaults on prison officers are not completely exclusive to officers; prison recording sometimes includes assaults on other prison staff in this category. The numbers supplied refer to the number of individual assault incidents. The numbers refer to all incidents recorded as assaults; these may also include threatening behaviour, projection of bodily fluids and other non-contact events and allegations.
	Ministers, NOMS and the Prison Officers Association are collectively committed to ensuring that violence in prisons is not tolerated in any form. Since 2004, a national strategy has directed every public sector prison to have in place a local violence reduction strategy. From mid 2007, this has also been applied to the contracted out (or private) estate. A whole prison approach is encouraged, engaging all staff, all disciplines and prisoners in challenging unacceptable behaviour, problem-solving and personal safety.
	Due to re-rolling of prisons over the years and the fact that some prisons have both male and female prisoners we do not have precise figures in the form requested. The approximate numbers of prisoner on officer assaults are as follows.
	
		
			  Prisoner on officer assault incidents( 1) 
			   Prison type  
			   Female  Male  Total 
			 1997(2) 146 1,564 1,710 
			 1998(2) 174 1,415 1,589 
			 1999(2) 159 1,708 1,867 
			 2000 224 1,705 1,929 
			 2001 246 2,132 2,378 
			 2002 258 2,245 2,503 
			 2003 257 2,265 2,522 
			 2004 257 2,506 2,763 
			 2005 392 2,699 3,091 
			 2006 485 2,640 3,125 
			 2007 373 2,497 2,870 
			 (1) Excludes a small proportion of assaults by others such as visitors. (2) There has been improved recording of assault incidents over the years particularly for fights. Figures reported for 1997, 1998 and 1999 are not directly comparable with those reported in later years. 
		
	
	While over recent years both male and female prisoner populations have increased, generally female prisoners make up about 5 per cent. of the total prison population. In the most recent complete calendar year (2007), about 13 per cent. of prisoner on officer assaults occurred in female prisons.

Probation Service: Finance

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the budget of the Probation Service is in 2008-09; and what proportion of that budget is for the care and aftercare of young people in young offender institutions.

David Hanson: The delegated budget for the probation service for 2008-09 is 914 million resource and 3 million capital. The detail of the proportion of the delegated budget spent on the care and after care of young peoplethe 18 to 21-year-old offendersin young offender institutions is not held centrally, and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost because of the need to survey all 36 probation boards and the six probation trusts. The probation service is not responsible for the care or after care of offenders under 18 years old who are managed by the youth offending teams.

Reoffenders

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the re-offending rate  (a) within six months and  (b) within 12 months for young men on release from young offender institutions was in each of the last four years.

David Hanson: We do not collate figures on reoffending occurring within six months of leaving custody. On an annual basis we publish rates which measure reoffending over a 12-month period.
	The following table shows the reoffending figures for juvenile male offenders (aged 10 to 17), who were released from custody in the first quarter of 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. The following table shows the proportion of offenders that committed at least one further offence and the number of further offences committed per 100 offenders.
	
		
			  Males 
			   Number of releases from custody  Proportion of offenders reoffending (1 year)  Number of offences per 100 offenders (1 year) 
			 2003 740 75.7 458.8 
			 2004 751 78.3 430.2 
			 2005 764 75.3 426.2 
			 2006 729 78.9 421.4 
		
	
	The figures include offenders released from young offender institutions, secure training centres and secure children's homes.
	We are unable to break the figures down to show only offenders released form young offender institutions.
	The latest reoffending statistics for juveniles, 'Reoffending of juveniles: results from the 2006 cohort', were published on 4 September 2008 and can be obtained from the Ministry of Justice website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/reoffendingjuveniles.htm.
	We have made significant progress in reducing juvenile reoffending. The frequency rate of juvenile reoffending fell by 18.7 per cent. between 2000 to 2006.

Reoffenders

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 10 November 2008,  Official Report, column 874W, on reoffenders, how many offenders under 21 years old who had served  (a) less than six months,  (b) between six months and one year and  (c) more than one year reoffended within six months of release since June 2007.

David Hanson: We do not collate figures on reoffending occurring within six months of leaving custody. On an annual basis we publish rates which measure reoffending over a 12 month period. We also do not hold data on length of custodial sentence for the index offence for juveniles (aged under 18 years).
	The following table shows the reoffending figures for offenders aged 18 to 20 who were released from custody in the first quarter of 2004, 2005 and 2006, by the length of sentence that they were given in court (time served in custody will be less than this). The table provides the proportion of offenders that committed at least one further offence and the number of further offences committed per 100 offenders. Offences which result in a conviction at court are counted as a reoffence.
	
		
			  Length of custodial sentence for index offence  Year  Number of releases from custody  Rate of reoffending  (1 year)  Number of offences per 100  offenders   (1 year) 
			 Less than 6 months 2004 1,179 71.5 390.0 
			  2005 1,038 72.2 371.5 
			  2006 933 69.9 356.7 
			  
			 6 months to less than 1 year 2004 320 52.5 268.1 
			  2005 339 52.5 233.0 
			  2006 313 44.1 171.6 
			  
			 1 year and over 2004 644 43.2 180.4 
			  2005 617 38.2 150.6 
			  2006 586 37.7 125.6 
		
	
	The latest reoffending statistics for juveniles, 'Reoffending of juveniles: results from the 2006 cohort', were published on 4 September 2008 and can be obtained from the Ministry of Justice website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/reoffendingjuveniles.htm.
	The latest reoffending statistics for adults, 'Reoffending of adults: results from the 2006 cohort', were published on the same date and can be obtained from:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/reoffendingofadults.htm.

Secure Training Centre Rules (Amendment) Rules 2007

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when his Department will publish revised draft rules to replace the Secure Training Centre Rules (Amendment) Rules 2007.

David Hanson: We have applied to the House of Lords for permission to appeal against the court's decision and await a decision on the application.
	The effect of the Court of Appeal's decision to quash the Secure Training Centre (Amendment) Rules 2007 was to reinstate Rule 38 as it read before the 2007 amendment.

Vandalism: Cemeteries

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which Jewish cemeteries in England and Wales have been desecrated in the last two years; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: This information is not recorded centrally. However we have been told by the Community Security Trust charity that they received reports of nine incidents of desecration of Jewish cemeteries in the United Kingdom in 2006 and six in 2007. For reasons of security and confidentiality they feel it would be inappropriate to make public details of the sites concerned.

HEALTH

Accidents: Cycling

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the NHS of treating patients who were involved in cycling accidents and were not wearing a cycle helmet in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many people were admitted to hospital as a result of cycling accidents in each of the last five financial years.

Ben Bradshaw: The national health service has not been asked to identify separately the costs of treating road traffic accident victims or those injured in cycling accidents because of the burden it would impose. Where a patient receives a compensation payment for their injuries, however incurred, the NHS is able to reclaim the costs of their treatment from whoever pays the compensation. In 2007-08, over 137 million was recovered in this way.
	Information on admissions to hospital as a result of cycling accidents from 2002-03 to 2006-07 is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Total admissions to hospital as a result of cycling accidents* from 2002-03 to 2006-07, NHS Hospitals England and activity performed in the Independent sector in England commissioned by English NHS 
			   Total admissions to hospital as a result of cycling accidents  V10 Pedal cyclist injured in collision with pedestrian or animal  V11 Pedal cyclist injured in collision with other pedal cycle  V12 Pedal cyclist injured in collision with 2-3 wheeled motor vehicle  V13 Pedal cyclist injured in collision with car pick-up truck or van  V14 Pedal cyclist injured in collision with heavy transport vehicle or bus 
			 2006-07 13,368 89 208 62 1,873 129 
			 2005-06 13,533 71 195 59 1,800 118 
			 2004-05 12,659 54 220 53 1,497 120 
			 2003-04 12,049 50 176 54 1,471 118 
			 2002-03 10,795 50 158 61 1471 117 
		
	
	
		
			   V14 Pedal cyclist injured in collision with heavy transport vehicle or bus  V15 Pedal cyclist injured in collision with railway train or railway vehicle  V16 Pedal cyclist injured in collision with other nonmotor vehicle  V17 Pedal cyclist injured in collision with fixed/stationary object  V18 Pedal cyclist injured in noncollision transport accident  V19 Pedal cyclist injured in oth and unspc transport accident 
			 2006-07 129 1 18 518 9,191 1,279 
			 2005-06 118 3 8 511 9,538 1,230 
			 2004-05 120 2 19 412 9,119 1,163 
			 2003-04 118 4 17 336 8,687 1,136 
			 2002-03 117 0 20 377 7617 924 
			  Notes: ICD-10 Clinical Codes External Cause Codes: V10 Pedal cyclist injured in collision with pedestrian or animal V11 Pedal cyclist injured in collision with other pedal cycle V12 Pedal cyclist injured in collision with 2-3 wheeled motor vehicle V13 Pedal cyclist injured in collision with car pick-up truck or van V14 Pedal cyclist injured in collision with heavy transport vehicle or bus V15 Pedal cyclist injured in collision with railway train or railway vehicle V16 Pedal cyclist injured in collision with other nonmotor vehicle V17 Pedal cyclist injured in collision with fixed/stationary object V18 Pedal cyclist injured in noncollision transport accident V19 Pedal cyclist injured in oth and unspc transport accident  Finished admission episodes A finished admission episode is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Finished admission episodes are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.  Cause code The cause code is a supplementary code that indicates the nature of any external cause of injury, poisoning or other adverse effects. The field within HES counts only the first external cause code which is coded within the episode.  Data Quality Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. Data are also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  Ungrossed data Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).  Assessing growth through time HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. During the years that these records have been collected by the NHS there have been ongoing improvements in quality and coverage. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Some of the increase in figures for later years (particularly 2006-07 onwards) may be due to the improvement in the coverage of independent sector activity. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example, a number of procedures may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and may no longer be accounted for in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time.  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care

Ambulance Services: Motor Vehicles

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many emergency response vehicles are operated by each NHS ambulance trust in England; and what the ratio is of such vehicles per 1,000 of the population.

Ben Bradshaw: Information on the number of ambulances operated by each NHS ambulance trusts is not held centrally.

Ambulance Services: Per Capita Costs

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent per person on the provision of ambulance services for  (a) each ambulance trust in England and  (b) England for the latest period for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is listed in the following table:
	
		
			  Trust  Expenditure (000)( 1)  Population( 1)  Spend per person ()( 1) 
			 North East Ambulance Service 78,542 2,564,486 30.62 
			 North West Ambulance Service 208,305 6,898,343 30.19 
			 Yorkshire Ambulance Service 152,688 5,174,762 29.50 
			 East Midlands Ambulance Service 132,242 4,368,025 30.27 
			 West Midlands Ambulance Service 145,886 5,381,845 27.11 
			 East Of England Ambulance Service 191,112 5,661,034 33.76 
			 London Ambulance Service 232,451 7,556,930 30.76 
			 South East Coast Ambulance Service 132,772 4,271,166 31.08 
			 South Central Ambulance Service 105,714 4,032,749 26.21 
			 South Western Ambulance Service(2) n/a (2,893,487) n/a 
			 Great Western Ambulance Service (GWAS) 66,193 2,289,205 28.91 
			 England(3) (3)1,445,905 (3)48,198,545 (3)30.00 
			 (1) Expenditure details from Annual Financial Returns of NHS Trusts, 2007-08. Population data based on ONS Population Statistics database (mid year 2007 based on 2001 census) for equivalent strategic health authority regions. GWAS population figures calculated using primary care trust population data from Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire, Bristol, North Somerset, Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire. (2) Expenditure data for 2007-08 for South Western Ambulance Trust not yet received. (3) Average based on total trust expenditure and total population figures, all excluding South Western Ambulance Trust.

Aortic Aneurysm: Screening

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will publish a timetable for the introduction of the NHS abdominal aortic aneurysm screening programme;
	(2)  when he expects the NHS abdominal aortic aneurysm screening programme to cover all parts of England; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  which NHS trusts have been selected to participate in the first round of pilots of the abdominal aortic aneurysm screening programme; and when they will begin their work;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the number of lives which will be saved in a year following the introduction of the NHS abdominal aortic aneurysm screening programme.

Ann Keen: Six early implementation sites have been identified and will start screening by summer 2009. The sites are West Sussex (Royal West Sussex NHS trust), Leicester (University Hospitals of Leicester NHS trust), Gloucester (Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS foundation trust), South Manchester (University Hospital of South Manchester NHS foundation trust), South Devon and Exeter (South Devon NHS Foundation Trust and Royal Devon and Exeter NHS foundation trust) and South West London (St George's Healthcare NHS trust). It is anticipated that full national roll out will be achieved by the end of March 2012; work is under way with strategic health authorities to plan for this.
	Once fully implemented it is expected that the screening programme will save approximately 700 lives within the first 10 years of screening rising eventually to 1,600 per year.

Arachnoiditis

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has carried out into possible links between arachnoiditis and depression.

Dawn Primarolo: None.
	Both the Department's National Institute for Health Research and the Medical Research Council welcome high quality applications for support into any aspect of human health, and these are judged in open competition with other demands on funding.

Cancer: Death

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of trends in mortality rates of  (a) common cancers and  (b) rarer cancers; and if he will make a statement. [Official Report, 12 May 2009, Vol. 492, c. 3MC.]

Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated November 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what assessment has been made of trends in mortality rates of (a) common cancers and (b) rarer cancers. (232840)
	The attached table provides the age-standardised mortality rates in England, by sex, for the period 1971 to 2005, for all cancers combined, and for each cancer for which this information is readily available.
	A detailed description of trends in cancer incidence and mortality over the period 1950 to 2003 is available in the 'Cancer Atlas of the United Kingdom and Ireland, 1991-2000', chapter 2 (pp 7-38), entitled 'Geographical patterns in cancer in the UK and Ireland'. This publication is also available in the House of Commons library, and from the Office for National Statistics' website via the following link:
	www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=14059
	An article examining trends in cancer in the UK and constituent countries over the period 1993-2004 for all cancers combined, and for the four most common cancers, was published in the Health Statistics Quarterly, volume 38, pp 33-46. This is available in the House of Commons library, and from the Office for National Statistics website via the following link:
	www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/article.asp?ID=2007Pos=1 ColRank=1Rank=1
	
		
			  Age-standardised mortality rates per 100,000 population by cancer site and sex, England, 1971 to 2005( 1) 
			  Rate per 100,000 population 
			  Sex  Site  1971  1972  1973  1974  1975  1976  1977  1978  1979  1980  1981  1982 
			 Male All cancers 284 286 286 288 284 289 285 286 287 285 284 281 
			  Lung 107 109 109 110 107 108 108 108 106 104 101 100 
			  Colorectal 34 34 33 34 33 34 33 32 32 31 31 30 
			  Stomach 32 31 31 30 30 29 28 28 27 26 25 24 
			  Bladder 13 13 13 13 12 13 13 13 12 12 12 12 
			  Pancreas 12 12 12 12 13 12 12 12 13 13 12 11 
			  Leukaemia 8 7 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 
			  Oesophagus 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 9 8 9 9 9 
			  Prostate 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			  Brain 4 5 4 5 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 
			  Lip, mouth and pharynx 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 
			  Kidney 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 4 5 5 
			  Non Hodgkin's lymphoma 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 
			  Larynx 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 
			  Myeloma 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 3 4 3 
			  Hogkin's disease 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 
			  Testis 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			  Melanoma 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 
			 Female All cancers 175 175 176 178 178 181 179 180 182 183 182 182 
			  Breast 39 39 40 39 40 40 40 40 40 40 41 41 
			  Colorectal 26 26 26 26 26 26 25 25 24 24 23 22 
			  Lung 19 19 20 21 22 22 23 23 24 25 25 26 
			  Stomach 15 15 14 14 13 13 12 13 12 12 11 10 
			  Ovary 13 13 12 12 12 13 12 13 12 12 12 12 
			  Cervix 8 8 8 7 8 8 7 7 7 7 7 6 
			  Pancreas 7 7 7 8 7 8 8 7 8 8 7 8 
			  Uterus 5 4 5 5 4 4 4 5 4 4 4 4 
			  Leukaemia 5 5 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 
			  Oesophagus 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 
			  Bladder 3 3 3 4 3 4 3 4 4 3 4 3 
			  Brain 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 
			  Non Hodgkin's lymphoma 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 
			  Myeloma 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 3 
			  Kidney 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			  Lip, mouth and pharynx 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			  Melanoma 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 
			  Hogkin's disease 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			  Larynx 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
		
	
	
		
			  Rate per 100,000 population 
			  Sex  Site  1983  1984  1985  1986  1987  1988  1989  1990  1991  1992  1993  1994 
			 Male All cancers 286 285 283 277 278 279 276 275 274 271 269 264 
			  Lung 101 97 96 92 90 89 85 84 82 79 76 74 
			  Colorectal 31 31 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 28 
			  Stomach 25 23 22 22 21 21 20 19 18 18 16 16 
			  Bladder 12 12 12 12 11 12 11 12 12 12 12 11 
			  Pancreas 12 12 12 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 10 10 
			  Leukaemia 8 8 8 7 8 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 
			  Oesophagus 10 9 10 10 11 11 11 12 12 12 12 13 
			  Prostate 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 
			  Brain 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 5 6 6 6 
			  Lip, mouth and pharynx 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 
			  Kidney 5 6 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 6 6 
			  Non Hodgkin's lymphoma 6 6 6 6 7 7 7 7 7 7 8 7 
			  Larynx 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 2 
			  Myeloma 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 
			  Hogkin's disease 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			  Testis 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  Melanoma 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Female All cancers 183 185 185 184 185 186 186 183 182 180 180 178 
			  Breast 41 41 41 42 41 41 41 40 40 39 39 38 
			  Colorectal 23 22 22 21 21 21 21 20 20 20 19 19 
			  Lung 26 28 27 28 28 29 29 29 29 29 29 30 
			  Stomach 10 10 9 9 9 8 8 8 7 7 7 7 
			  Ovary 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 
			  Cervix 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 5 5 5 4 
			  Pancreas 7 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 7 8 8 7 
			  Uterus 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 
			  Leukaemia 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 
			  Oesophagus 4 5 5 5 5 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 
			  Bladder 3 3 3 4 3 3 4 4 3 3 3 4 
			  Brain 3 4 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 
			  Non Hodgkin's lymphoma 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 
			  Myeloma 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 
			  Kidney 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 
			  Lip, mouth and pharynx 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 
			  Melanoma 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			  Hogkin's disease 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 
			  Larynx 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 
		
	
	
		
			  Rate per 100,000 population 
			  Sex  Site  1995  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 Male All cancers 260 254 246 246 238 232 228 227 222 221 213 
			  Lung 71 68 65 64 61 59 57 56 54 52 51 
			  Colorectal 28 27 27 26 25 25 24 24 23 23 21 
			  Stomach 15 15 14 13 13 12 11 11 10 9 9 
			  Bladder 11 11 10 10 10 9 9 9 9 9 8 
			  Pancreas 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 
			  Leukaemia 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 
			  Oesophagus 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 
			  Prostate 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 
			  Brain 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 
			  Lip, mouth and pharynx 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 
			  Kidney 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 
			  Non Hodgkin's lymphoma 8 8 8 8 7 7 7 8 7 7 7 
			  Larynx 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			  Myeloma 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 
			  Hogkin's disease 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 
			  Testis 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  Melanoma 3 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 
			 Female All cancers 176 173 170 168 165 163 160 159 156 157 153 
			  Breast 37 35 34 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 28 
			  Colorectal 18 18 17 17 16 15 15 15 14 14 13 
			  Lung 29 29 28 29 29 28 28 28 29 28 29 
			  Stomach 6 5 6 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 
			  Ovary 12 12 12 12 11 11 11 11 11 10 10 
			  Cervix 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 
			  Pancreas 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 8 
			  Uterus 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 
			  Leukaemia 4 4 4 4 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 
			  Oesophagus 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 
			  Bladder 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 
			  Brain 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 
			  Non Hodgkin's lymphoma 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 
			  Myeloma 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 
			  Kidney 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 
			  Lip, mouth and pharynx 1 1 2 2 1 2 2 2 1 2 1 
			  Melanoma 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			  Hogkin's disease 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  Larynx 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
		
	
	(1) Cause of death for cancers was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Eighth Revision (ICD-8) for 1971 to 1978, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) for 1979 to 2000 and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) for codes 2001 to 2005. See the following table for specific.
	
		
			   ICD 8  ICD 9  ICD 10 
			 All cancers 140-205 140-208 C00-C97 
			 Bladder 188 188 C67 
			 Brain 191 191 C71 
			 Breast 174 174 C50 
			 Cervix 180 180 C53 
			 Colorectal 153-154 153-154 C18-21 
			 Hogkin's disease 201 201 C81 
			 Kidney 189 189 C64-66, C68 
			 Larynx 161 161 C32 
			 Leukaemia 204-207 204-208 C91-C95 xC91.4 
			 Lip, mouth and pharynx 140-149 140-149 C00-C14 
			 Lung 162 162 C33-C34 
			 Melanoma 172 172 C43 
			 Myeloma 203 203 C88, C90 
			 Non Hodgkin's lymphoma 200, 202 200, 202 C82-C85, C91.4, C96 
			 Oesophagus 150 150 C15 
			 Ovary 183 183 C56-C57 
			 Pancreas 157 157 C25 
			 Prostate 185 185 C61 
			 Stomach 151 151 C16 
			 Testis 186 186 C62 
			 Uterus 182 182 C54-C55

Congenital Abnormalities

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children of consanguineous unions were born with genetic abnormalities in each year since 2000.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department does not collect such data centrally.

Dementia: Health Services

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish an estimate of the full average cost of caring for a dementia patient for 12 months before he publishes his national dementia care strategy.

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the NHS is taking to assist people suffering from dementia; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: We aim to publish a National Dementia Strategy for England later in the year. This will build on the examples of best practice in dementia care across the national health service and social care and on the contributions we have had from a wide range of stakeholders in response to public consultation.

Dental Services

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS  (a) dentists and  (b) orthodontists there were in each (i) strategic health authority and (ii) primary care trust area in England in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Information is not available in the format requested. The following information relates to the primary care dental services.
	The number of national health service dentists, as at 31 March, 1997 to 2006 is available in Annex E of the NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report England: 31 March 2006. Information is available by strategic health authority (SHA) and by primary care trust (PCT).
	This measure counted the number of NHS dentists recorded on PCT lists as at 31 March each year. This information is based on the old contractual arrangements, which were in place up to and including 31 March 2006. This report, published on 23 August 2006, has already been placed in the Library and is also available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	http://www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dwfactivity
	The numbers of dentists with NHS activity during the years ending 31 March, 2007 and 2008 are available in Table G1 of Annex 3 of the NHS Dental Statistics for England: 2007-08 report. Information is provided by SHA and by PCT. This information is based on the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006.
	Following a recent consultation exercise, this measure is based on a revised methodology and therefore supersedes previously published workforce figures relating to the new dental contractual arrangements. It is not comparable to the information collected under the old contractual arrangements. This revised methodology counted the number of dental performers with NHS activity recorded via FP17 claim forms in each year ending 31 March. This report, published on 21 August 2008, has already been placed in the Library and is also available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	http://www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dental0708
	Further work is planned over the next few months to determine whether the new definition used under the new dental contractual arrangements can be applied to the years under the old contractual arrangements to produce a consistent time series.
	Dentists undertaking orthodontic work will appear in the figures in both of the above reports; however, it is not possible to separately identify such dentists.
	Both sets of published figures relate to headcounts and do not differentiate between full-time and part-time dentists, nor do they account for the fact that some dentists may do more NHS work than others.
	Tables 7a and 7b of the Dental Working Hours, England and Wales 2006-07 and 2007-08 report show working hours information for dentists identified as carrying out more orthodontic work than non-orthodontic work and vice versa.
	This report, published on 21 August 2008, has already been placed in the Library and is also available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	http://www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dentalworkinghours0708

Dental Services

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the  (a) NHS dentist to patient and  (b) NHS orthodontist to patient ratio is in each (i) strategic health authority and (ii) primary care trust area in England; and what those ratios were in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: Information is not available in the format requested. The following information relates to the primary care dental services.
	The number of persons per national health service dentist in England, as at 31 March, 1997 to 2006 is available in Annex F of the NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report England: 31 March 2006 report. The information is provided by primary care trust (PCT) and strategic health authority (SHA).
	This measure related to the number of NHS dentists recorded on PCT lists as at 31 March each year. This information is based on the old contractual arrangements, which were in place up to and including 31 March 2006. This report, published on 23 August 2006, has already been placed in the Library and is also on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	http://www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dwfactivity
	The number of dentists with NHS activity per 100,000 population, during the years ending 31 March, 2007 and 2008 is available in Table G1 of Annex 3 of the NHS Dental Statistics for England: 2007-08 report. Information is available by SHA and by PCT. This information is based on the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006.
	Following a recent consultation exercise, this measure is based on a revised methodology and therefore supersedes previously published workforce figures relating to the new dental contractual arrangements. It is not comparable to the information collected under the old contractual arrangements. The revised methodology counts the number of dental performers with NHS activity recorded via FP17 claim forms in each year ending 31 March. This report, published on 21 August 2008, has already been placed in the Library and is also on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	http://www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dental0708
	Dentists undertaking orthodontic work will appear in the figures in both of the aforementioned reports, however, it is not possible to separately identify such dentists.

Dental Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 21 October 2008,  Official Report, column 303W, on dental services, what items of information are supplied by dental providers on FP17 forms.

Ann Keen: This information is contained in dental form FP17, a copy of which has been placed in the Library.

Dental Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 21 October 2008,  Official Report, column 303W, on dental services, what the average patient recall interval was for dentists in each  (a) primary care trust area and  (b) strategic health authority region in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: Information could be made available only in the form requested at disproportionate cost. Such management information as is available is set out in the table entitled 'Primary Dental Care Patient Re-Attendance Intervals' which has been placed in the Library. Information is provided for the period April to September 2008 by primary care trust. This is the latest period for which data are available.

Diabetes: Children

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department has taken to ensure that primary care trusts provide appropriate support for children diagnosed with diabetes; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much his Department has allocated for expenditure on support for children diagnosed with diabetes in 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: In April 2007, the Department published Making Every Young Person with Diabetes Matter, the report of the Children and Young People with Diabetes working group, which looked at ways to improve diabetes services for children and young people. This report includes guidance to commissioners on the planning, design and provision of diabetes services for children and young people. A copy of this document has already been placed in the Library.
	The group's recommendations are now being taken forward by an implementation group led by the National Clinical Director for Children. The group's membership includes Diabetes UK, parents of children with diabetes, clinicians and other key partners with an interest in children and diabetes.
	Funding to support children with diabetes is included in baseline allocations to primary care trusts. It is for primary care trusts to determine the appropriate level of expenditure and commission services that meet the needs of their local population.

Doctors: Career Structure

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors who qualified in each of the last five years have not practised medicine since qualification.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Doctors: Manpower

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) doctors and  (b) nurses were employed (i) by Sefton Primary Care Trust and (ii) by the NHS in England in (A) 1997 and (B) 2008.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested. The following table shows national health service staff in England and the Sefton Primary Care Trust (PCT) area as at 30 September for each specified year.
	
		
			   2002  2007 
			  England   
			 All doctors (excluding retainers) 103,350 127,645 
			 General practitioners 32,292 36,420 
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 367,520 399,597 
			  O f which:   
			  Sefton PCT area   
			 All doctors (excluding retainers) 3 6 
			 General practitioners 183 179 
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 516 669 
			  Notes: 1. The Sefton PCT was formed in October 2006 from a complete merger of the Southport and Formby PCT and the South Sefton PCT. Figures for 2002 are an aggregate of these two predecessor organisations. 2. Data quality: Work force statistics are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and PCTs in England. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data. Processing methods and procedures are continually being updated to improve data quality. Where this happens any impact on figures already published will be assessed but unless this is significant at national level they will not be changed. Where there is impact only at detailed or local level this will be footnoted in relevant analyses.  Sources: The Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census The Information Centre for health and social care Medical and Dental Workforce Census The Information Centre for health and social care General and Personal Medical Services Statistics

Drugs: Misuse

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he holds on the number of people aged 18 years or under who died as a direct or indirect result of abusing  (a) cannabis,  (b) cocaine,  (c) ecstasy,  (d) alcohol,  (e) crystal methadone and  (f) prescription drugs in (i) 2007 and (ii) 1997.

Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated November 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what information is held on the number of people aged 18 years or under who died as a direct or indirect result of abusing (a) cannabis, (b) cocaine, (c) ecstasy, (d) alcohol, (e) crystal methadone and (f) prescription drugs in (i) 2007 and (ii) 1997. (231945)
	Table 1 attached shows the number of deaths of persons aged 18 years or under for which the underlying cause was drug poisoning and (a) cannabis, (b) cocaine or (c) ecstasy was mentioned on the death certificate either alone or together with other substances.
	The common term (e) 'crystal meth' refers to methylamphetamine, an amphetamine, rather than to methadone, an opiate. Table 1 also includes figures for drug poisoning deaths mentioning amphetamines (other than ecstasy) or methadone. It is not possible to provide a breakdown of drug poisoning deaths by substance where the person died as an indirect result of abusing drugs.
	The National Statistics definition of alcohol-related deaths only includes those causes regarded as being most directly due to alcohol consumption. It does not include external causes of death such as road traffic accidents, other accidents or violence, where alcohol may have been a contributory cause. Table 2 attached shows the number of deaths of persons aged 18 years or under where (d) an alcohol-related cause was the underlying cause of death or was mentioned as a contributory factor on the death certificate. Figures in all cases are provided for (i) 2007 and (ii) 1997.
	ONS data on drug-related deaths identify all substances which were mentioned on the death record. However, since in some cases the same substance could be prescribed, bought legally, or obtained illegally, it is not possible to ascertain which deaths were due to (f) prescription drugs.
	
		
			  Table 1. Number of deaths attributed to drug poisoning where cannabis,  cocaine, ecstasy, any other amphetamine, or methadone was mentioned on the death certificate, persons aged 18 years and under, England and Wales, 1997 and 2007( 1,2) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			   1997  2007 
			 Cannabis 1 0 
			 Cocaine 0 4 
			 Ecstasy 5 4 
			 Amphetamines (other than Ecstasy) 6 1 
			 Methadone 34 7 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). Deaths were included where the underlying cause was due to drug poisoning (shown in the following table) and where cannabis, cocaine, any amphetamine, ecstasy or methadone was mentioned on the death certificate. (2) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Cause of death  ICD-10 code(s) 
			 Mental and behavioural disorders due to drug use (excluding alcohol and tobacco) F11F16, F18F19 
			 Accidental poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances X40X44 
			 Intentional self-poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances X60X64 
			 Assault by drugs, medicaments and biological substances X85 
			 Poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances, undetermined intent Y10Y14 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2. Number of deaths where an alcohol-related cause was mentioned on the death certificate, persons aged 18 years and under, England and Wales, 1997 and 2007( 1, 2) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			   1997  2007 
			 Underlying cause of death 13 2 
			 Mentioned as contributory factor 38 30 
			 (1 )Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) for 1997, and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) for 2007. The specific causes of death categorised as alcohol-related, and their corresponding ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes, are shown in the following table. (2) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Box 1. Alcohol-related causes of death - International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) 
			  Cause of death  ICD-9 code(s) 
			 Alcoholic psychoses 291 
			 Alcohol dependence syndrome 303 
			 Non-dependent abuse of alcohol 305.0 
			 Alcoholic cardiomyopathy 425.5 
			 Alcoholic fatty liver 571.0 
			 Acute alcoholic hepatitis 571.1 
			 Alcoholic cirrhosis of liver 571.2 
			 Alcoholic liver damage, unspecified 571.3 
			 Chronic hepatitis 571.4 
			 Cirrhosis of liver without mention of alcohol 571.5 
			 Other chronic nonalcoholic liver disease 571.8 
			 Unspecified chronic liver disease without mention of alcohol 571.9 
			 Accidental poisoning by alcohol E860 
		
	
	
		
			  Box 2. Alcohol-related causes of death - International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) 
			  Cause of death  ICD-10 code(s) 
			 Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol F10 
			 Degeneration of nervous system due to alcohol G31.2 
			 Alcoholic polyneuropathy G62.1 
			 Alcoholic cardiomyopathy I42.6 
			 Alcoholic gastritis K29.2 
			 Alcoholic liver disease K70 
			 Chronic hepatitis, not elsewhere classified K73 
			 Fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver (excl. Biliary cirrhosis) K74 (excl. K74.3-K74.5) 
			 Alcohol induced chronic pancreatitis K86.0 
			 Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol X45 
			 Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to alcohol X65 
			 Poisoning by and exposure to alcohol, undetermined intent Y15

Eyesight: Testing

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pensioners in Enfield North constituency have received free eye tests in each year since tests were introduced.

Ann Keen: Information is not available by constituency.
	Information on the number of General Ophthalmic Services (GOS) sight tests paid for by the NHS, by patient eligibility at primary care trust (PCT) level, will be available in the General Ophthalmic Services: Activity Statistics for England and Wales: Year Ending 31 March 2008 report. This report is due to be published by the NHS Information Centre for health and social care on 20 November 2008, and will be placed in the Library.
	Information by patient eligibility will be provided at a national level from 1999-2000 (when NHS sight tests were extended to those aged 60 and over) and will be provided at PCT and strategic health authority (SHA) level for the year 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008. Information on the number of sight tests by patient eligibility, at PCT and SHA level is not available for earlier years.

Food: Standards

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps  (a) his Department and  (b) the Food Standards Agency has taken to ensure compatibility between the work of the Food Standards Agency and the European Food Safety Authority in relation to food standards; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The remit of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) principally concerns the assessment and communication of risk relating to food and animal feed safety. Its scientific opinions underpin the regulatory framework put in place by the European Parliament and member states.
	A key objective for EFSA is delivering its strategy on scientific cooperation. This strategy aims to assist member states in taking co-ordinated, effective and timely decisions in the field of food and feed safety, while avoiding duplication of work. The Food Standards Agency, as the lead Department in the UK for food safety, was influential in developing this strategy and is active in its delivery. The Department has little direct involvement with EFSA.

Genetics Insurance Committee: Finance

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what  (a) capital,  (b) revenue and  (c) other funding his Department has given to the Genetics Insurance Committee since its inception.

Dawn Primarolo: The Genetics and Insurance Advisory Committee is an advisory committee to the Department. There has been no capital funding. Revenue funding and other costs are accounted for as part of general administration budget expenditure, where it is not customary to separate the running costs of individual advisory committees.

Health: Insurance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the availability of top-up health insurance in England; and what information his Department holds on providers of top-up health insurance;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the average annual cost to an individual patient of top-up health insurance;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the  (a) current annual value and  (b) likely increase as a result of his announcement on access to NHS care on 4 November 2008 in the annual value of top-up health insurance purchased in England.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government response to Professor Richards's review, 'Improving access to medicines for NHS patients', set out a package of measures which will reduce demand for additional private drugs, as more drugs will be available on the national health service, more quickly.
	As more drugs will be available on the NHS, the Department considers that this will mean fewer NHS patients are likely to want to take out so called top-up health insurance than would otherwise have been the case.
	As with all stakeholders who had an interest, Professor Richards and his team heard the views of some insurance companies as part of the review process. This did not amount to an assessment of the availability of particular types of health insurance, given the Department's policy is not to encourage the expansion of private health insurance.

Hepatitis: Vaccinations

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken by his Department to ensure that hepatitis B vaccines are made available free of charge to essential workers in nursing homes; what criteria are used by his Department in determining who receives hepatitis B vaccines free of charge; what recent representations he has received on this issue; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Responsibility for occupational hepatitis B immunisation rests with the employer and it should be provided through an occupational health service. It is the responsibility of the individual trusts/employers to determine their own programme and fund the immunisation of their staff.
	The Department has received very low levels of correspondence relating to vaccinations for health care workers. The response to these letters stated the aforementioned departmental policy.

Hospitals: Admissions

Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the average cost per day of a patient staying in hospital in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: It is not possible to provide an estimate of the average cost per day, as the data collected as part of the annual national health service reference cost collection include all costs associated with treatment and service provision, and not just the cost of the stay in hospital.

Hospitals: Liverpool

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) doctors and  (b) nurses work in (i) Aintree and (ii) Royal Walton Hospital; and how many did so in 1997.

Ann Keen: The following table shows the number of national health service staff in each specified staff group for the Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery NHS Trust as at 30 September each specified year.
	
		
			   1997  2007 
			   Medical and dental staff  Qualified nursing staff  Medical and dental staff  Qualified nursing staff 
			 Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 313 1,185 413 1,202 
			 Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery NHS Trust 52 187 90 262 
			  Notes: 1. Work force statistics are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts in England. 2. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data. 3. Processing methods and procedures are continually being updated to improve data quality. Where this happens, any impact on figures already published will be assessed but unless this is significant at national level they will not be changed. Where there is impact only at detailed or local level this will be footnoted in relevant analyses.  Sources: The Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census The Information Centre for health and social care Medical and Dental Workforce Census

Lung Diseases

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people with pleural plaques; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
	There is no definitive information on either the total number of people with confirmed diagnoses of pleural plaques, or those people who will ultimately develop pleural plaques. This is largely due to the asymptomatic nature of pleural plaques, as well as its long latency.

NHS: Legal Costs

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department  (a) has spent and  (b) is expected to spend on legal and associated fees in all ongoing legal cases concerning NHS staff.

Ann Keen: The Department has to date spent 65,820.92 on legal and associated fees in all ongoing cases involving NHS staff. We are unable to predict with any degree of accuracy the total likely costs, because these cases are ongoing and, therefore, unresolved.

NHS: Negligence

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the claims are for which total damages are worth more than 500,000 that have been settled under the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts; and in each case  (a) which trust was involved,  (b) what damages have been paid to date,  (c) what total damages are expected to be,  (d) what the speciality was in which the claim occurred and  (e) what injury to the patient occurred.

Ann Keen: The information requested was provided by the NHS Litigation Authority and is in the document, CNST claims with damages over 500k. A copy has been placed in the Library.
	 Note:
	Total damages indicate the exact amount paid if the case is closed, or the estimated amount to be paid where some damages are outstanding, for example under periodic payments.

NHS: Psychiatrists

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many psychiatrists were employed by the National Health Service in each year since 1997.

Phil Hope: The number of psychiatrists employed in the national health service in each year since 1997 is detailed in the following table.
	
		
			  Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS): medical staff within the psychiatry group by specialtyEngland 
			  Number (headcount) 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Psychiatry group 6,623 6,900 7,206 7,419 7,498 7,713 8,066 8,938 9,325 9,629 9,554 
			 Child and adolescent psychiatry 748 767 795 826 823 805 860 956 1,039 1,060 1,084 
			 Forensic psychiatry 275 333 314 347 411 380 425 456 493 519 559 
			 General Psychiatry 4,215 4,364 4,581 4,736 4,717 4,909 5,076 5,585 5,866 6,090 5,976 
			 Learning disabilities 500 508 535 501 485 524 520 520 492 531 518 
			 Old age psychiatry 708 759 825 860 912 941 1,028 1,251 1,264 1,271 1,267 
			 Psychotherapy 177 169 156 149 150 154 157 170 171 158 150 
			  Note: Data as at 1 October 1997-99 and 30 September 2000-07  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care Medical and Dental Workforce Census  Data quality: Workforce statistics are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data. Processing methods and procedures are continually being updated to improve data quality. Where this happens any impact on figures already published will be assessed but unless this is significant at national level they will not be changed. Where there is impact only at detailed or local level this will be footnoted in relevant analyses.

NHS: Public Participation

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he takes to ensure that LINks pay appropriate attention to social care inquiries; and what mechanisms are in place to ensure that health and overview scrutiny committees take account of social care referrals.

Ann Keen: Section 221 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, sets out local involvement network activities in respect of both health and social services.
	All materials produced to describe the role of LINks highlight that the LINk role incorporates social services. The Act also contains provision, which ensures that, should a local involvement network (LINk) refers a matter relating to social care services to a Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC), the Committee is required to respond to the LINk and keep the LINk informed of the Committee's actions in relation to the matter.

NHS: Public Participation

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that LINks and health and overview scrutiny committees work effectively together.

Ann Keen: The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, contains provision which ensures that, should a local involvement network (LINk) refer a matter relating to social care services to a Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC), the Committee is required to respond to the LINk and keep the LINk informed of the Committee's actions in relation to the matter. The Act only provides for social care referrals, because there is an existing regulation making power to require committees to respond to health matters when they are referred. The regulations have been amended to mirror the requirements of the Act but for health matters.
	LINks will provide detailed data to OSCs and enable them to get a clearer picture of peoples' needs and experiences of health and social care services.
	Since the legislation establishing LINks came into force, in April 2008, the Department has put in place a programme of support for local authorities, host organisations and LINks. As part of this programme, the NHS Centre for Involvement has produced guidance materials, which consistently highlight the importance of LINks establishing close working relations with OSCs.
	The Department is currently asking people and organisations for their ideas on how we can build on the achievements of health overview and scrutiny and consider ways in which health scrutiny arrangements can be strengthened. Those views will inform a review of current OSC guidance and a consultation on the review will begin in the spring of 2009.

Nurses: Crosby

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average starting salary of nurses in Crosby constituency was in 1997; and what it was at the latest date for which information is available.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested. The following table shows the pay and percentage increase of nurses at the start of the pay scale from 1996 to 2008.
	
		
			  Nurse Grade D 
			   Pay ()  Minimum percentage increase 
			 1996-97 11,895 4.02 
			 1997-98(1) 12,385 4.12 
			 1998-99(1) 12,855 3.79 
			 1999-2000 14,400 12.02 
			 2000-01 14,890 3.40 
			 2001-02 15,445 3.73 
			 2002-03 16,005 3.63 
			 2003-04 16,525 3.25 
			 2004-05 17,060 3.24 
			 2005-06 17,475 2.43 
			 2006-07 19,166 9.68 
			 2007-08(2) 19,683 2.70 
			 2008-09 20,225 2.75 
			  Notes: 1. 1 December figure used for years where increase was staged. 2. 1 November figure used for year where increase was staged.  Source: Non-medical pay policy

Patient Choice Schemes

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the expansion of patient choice from April 2008 will specifically apply to mental health services; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: It is the Government's aim to offer choice to all patients, to provide a responsive and patient centred health service. Free Choice means the majority of patients referred to hospital will be able to choose where they wish to be treated. However, there are some services, including mental health, that currently fall outside the scope of Free Choice, as choice of hospital may not be appropriate.
	For patients using these services, other choices or other ways to ensure services are more responsive will be required. The key issue for users of mental health services is providing greater choice of the type of treatment they receive, for example by increasing access to psychological therapies.
	The Government are committed to giving people with mental health problems choice and a more personalised service, including making more information available about mental illness to help people manage their own care. In the last year, work has been ongoing both locally and nationally to increase the level of choice offered to people with mental health problems.

Primary Care Trusts: Judicial Reviews

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of judicial reviews of decisions by primary care trusts to refuse funding for  (a) non-cancer and  (b) cancer treatments in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: We have made no such estimate.

Sennybridge Disease

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the likely change in the number of cases of Sennybridge disease when UK derogations from European animal health regulation EC998/2003 expires in July 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: 'Sennybridge Disease' is a vernacular term for cystic hydatid disease that occurs particularly in certain areas of Wales, and is caused by infection with the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus. The requirements of the UK Pet Travel Scheme for tapeworm treatment for pets entering the UK under the scheme, as permitted under the derogation from EC Regulation 998/2003, are aimed at preventing tapeworm infections that are exotic to the UK, such as Echinococcus multilocularis, that cause the more serious human alveolar hydatid disease. An assessment of the potential risks to public health that could arise from introduction of Echinococcus multilocularis into the UK has been made and is currently being considered across Government in developing our future strategy for the UK Pet Travel Scheme.
	As hydatid disease due to Echinococcus granulosus is already endemic in the UK, it did not form part of the risk assessment referred to above.

Smoking: East of England

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what budget within the East of England strategic health authority has been allocated to lowering the number of smokers in the latest period for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not held centrally. Allocations for the national health service Stop Smoking Services are made to primary care trusts, which then decide how best to provide the service to their communities. The hon. Member may wish to raise this locally with NHS East of England.

Termination of Pregnancy Bill

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of the partial regulatory impact assessment on  (a) the Termination of Pregnancy Bill of Session 2005-06 and  (b) the Termination of Pregnancy Bill of Session 2006-07; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Termination of Pregnancy Bill in the 2005-06 session was withdrawn and no Partial Regulatory Impact (PRI) Assessment was produced.
	A PRI was produced for the Termination of Pregnancy Bill Session 2006-07; a copy of which has been placed in the Library.

Transplant Surgery

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been on the waiting list for organ transplant in each year since 1997, broken down by organ awaited; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The following table provides the number of registrations on the waiting list for each organ on 31 December in each year since 1997. The national list can change on a daily basis as people are removed from the transplant list because their clinical condition deteriorates and later rejoin when their condition improves. We are taking action to enable more people to benefit from a transplant. Implementation of the Organ Donation Taskforce recommendations published in January 2008, should see donation rates rise by 50 per cent. by 2013.
	
		
			  Patients on the active organ transplant list, UK, at 31 December, 1997 to 2007 
			  Organ listed  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Kidney 4,412 4,584 4,691 4,822 4,846 4,963 5,072 5,206 5,660 6,190 6,699 
			 Pancreas 3 7 3 17 8 21 17 36 53 53 55 
			 Kidney/pancreas 45 49 46 69 88 83 84 93 76 141 169 
			 Heart 230 232 212 134 105 96 99 111 96 83 82 
			 Lung(s) 196 184 182 191 241 264 267 272 257 272 258 
			 Heart/lungs 109 97 106 101 72 75 59 53 41 37 20 
			 Liver 180 201 156 152 158 163 239 253 360 326 307 
			 Total 5,175 5,354 5,396 5,486 5,518 5,665 5,837 6,024 6,543 7,102 7,590

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

British Energy: EDF

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on which occasions Ministers in his Department have met senior executives of  (a) British Energy and  (b) EDF in each of the last 12 months.

Mike O'Brien: Prior to the creation of the Department for Energy and Climate Change responsibility for energy matters lay with the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR). Within the last 12 months Ministers from DECC and BERR have met senior executives from  (a) British Energy and  (b) EDF on the following occasions:
	
		
			  Minister  Outside interest group  W eek commencing  Reason for the m eeting 
			 Secretary of State (DECC) British Energy 4 November 2008 To discuss energy issues 
			 Secretary of State (DECC) EDF 13 October 2008 To discuss energy and climate change issues 
			 Secretary of State (BERR) EDF 28 April 2008 To discuss energy issues 
			 Secretary of State (BERR) British Energy 18 February 2008 To discuss energy issues 
			 Secretary of State (BERR) EDF 28 April 2008 To discuss industry issues 
			 Secretary of State (BERR) British Energy 14 April 2008 To discuss energy issues 
			 Secretary of State (BERR) British Energy 3 March 2008 To discuss energy issues 
			 Secretary of State (BERR) British Energy 18 February 2008 To discuss energy issues 
			 Minister for Energy (BERR) EDF Energy 22 October 2007 To discuss energy issues 
			 Secretary of State (BERR) EDF Energy 8 October 2007 To discuss business issues

Carbon Emissions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the amount of emissions of  (a) ammonias,  (b) nitrogen oxides,  (c) particulates and  (d) sulphur dioxide in the UK was in each year since 1990.

Huw Irranca-Davies: I have been asked to reply.
	Estimates of annual emissions of  (a) ammonias,  (b) nitrogen oxides,  (c) particulates and  (d) sulphur dioxide in the UK source, for each year 1990-2006 are shown in the table.
	These results, published as National Statistics by DEFRA on 13 March 2008, are the latest statistics on air emissions for the UK. The 1990-2006 figures in this Statistics Release are from the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory for 1970-2006, produced for DEFRA and the Devolved Administrations by AEA Energy and Environment. This inventory covers all air pollutants excluding greenhouse gases.
	UK national emission estimates are updated annually and any developments in methodology are applied retrospectively to earlier years. The next scheduled update is expected in March 2009.
	The full statistical release 'UK Emissions of Air Pollutants, 2006 results' is currently published on the DEFRA website:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/statistics/airqual/index.htm
	Please also refer to the Air Quality e-digest statistics page which is currently published on the DEFRA website. This describes the process of measuring emissions and the emissions inventory in detail.
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/statistics/airqual/aqinventories.htm
	
		
			  Estimated emissions of ammonia (NH 3 ), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Particulates PM 10  and Sulphur Dioxides (SO 2 ): 1990-2006 
			   Pollutant 
			   (a) Ammonias (NH 3 )  (b) Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)  (c) Particulates PM 10  (d) Sulphur dioxides (S0 2 ) 
			 1990 382.6 2,967.7 304.5 3,717.4 
			 1991 385.4 2,838.4 301.2 3,530.5 
			 1992 371.5 2,757.1 290.4 3,442.2 
			 1993 367.1 2,582.4 278.2 3,096.2 
			 1994 371.0 2,491.3 264.6 2,663.9 
			 1995 361.8 2,389.9 238.2 2,351.8 
			 1996 366.0 2,314.9 233.0 2,003.5 
			 1997 371.0 2,162.8 224.0 1,661.4 
			 1998 365.4 2,088.5 209.3 1,632.8 
			 1999 365.5 1,975.7 197.1 1,208.8 
			 2000 335.4 1,899.4 184.0 1,198.5 
			 2001 331.5 1,828.2 177.2 1,095.2 
			 2002 326.4 1,714.8 154.7 978.2 
			 2003 316.0 1,721.0 154.3 967.2 
			 2004 322.0 1,659.4 153.5 812.5 
			 2005 314.7 1,619.8 149.8 688.0 
			 2006 314.7 1,594.8 151.6 675.6 
			  Source: AEA Energy and Environment

Coal

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the likely extent of use of clean coal in the UK in the future; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The Government are committed to moving our electricity generation to a lower carbon mix and achieving our 2020 and 2050 climate change goals, while at the same time ensuring security of supply for UK power generation. To this end, we are committed to the EU ETS at the heart of our strategy for driving down carbon use in the most cost effective way possible; improving energy efficiency; encouraging demand reductions and increasing renewables to achieve the 15 per cent target by 2020. But coal needs to remain an important part of our energy mix. It provides the most flexible generation (increasingly needed as back up as the percentage of intermittent renewables increases in the overall mix) and an alternative to over dependence on gas. We are supporting development of clean coal technologies including carbon capture and storage, higher efficiency processes, and co-firing with biomass. Our ambition is to see CCS commercially deployable by 2020. The extent of coal's future use will depend on decisions by operators and technological development; modelling commissioned to inform our Renewable Energy Strategy consultation estimated that for a central case around 2.5 GW of new coal-fired generation could be added to the mix by 2020.

Departmental Conditions of Employment

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what percentage of employees in his Department are  (a) on a flexible working contract,  (b) on a job share employment contract and  (c) work from home for more than four hours a week.

Mike O'Brien: The total staff numbers and profile for DECC will be agreed once negotiations on the machinery of government changes with BERR and DEFRA are complete.

Departmental Information Officers

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many press and communications officers are employed by  (a) his Department,  (b) its non-departmental public bodies and  (c) its agencies.

Mike O'Brien: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1215W.

Departmental Lost Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what  (a) equipment and  (b) data has been lost by the Department in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Employment Relations and Postal Affairs on 10 November 2008,  Official Report, column 905W.

Departmental Staff

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's organisational chart.

Mike O'Brien: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Tunbridge Wells (Greg Clark) on 4 November 2008,  Official Report, column 441W.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the likely carbon price within the EU Emissions Trading Scheme traded sectors under  (a) a 20 per cent. and  (b) a 30 per cent. EU effort-sharing arrangement in 2020.

Mike O'Brien: The Government do not comment on the future level of the carbon price. The European Commission has made an assessment of the potential level of the EU ETS carbon price under a 20 per cent. greenhouse gas reduction scenario as part of their impact assessment of the climate and energy package. Their modelling suggests a central price of around 43/tCO2 in 2020.

Fossil Fuels

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects the production of  (a) oil,  (b) gas and  (c) other fossil fuels to peak globally; what steps he plans to take in response; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The Department of Energy and Climate Change does not estimate the precise timing of peak global oil, gas or coal production. However, we consider the world's fossil fuel resources to be sufficient to prevent the global production of each peaking before 2030, subject to sufficient investment in and efficient operation of production capacity. The exact timing of the peaks depends on a number of factors, including the rate of demand growth, the rate of investment in fossil fuel extraction, and technological developments in finding and producing fossil fuels. More information on oil and coal reserves is available in the Government's Energy Markets Outlook 2007 at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file41995.pdf.
	The 2008 edition will be published shortly.
	As the supply of fossil fuels becomes less abundant, relative to demand, rising prices will provide an incentive to shift to alternative sources of energy. However, this process needs to be supported by governments. The UK Government are already putting in place policies that will help ease the UK economy away from fossil fuels as part of initiatives to combat climate change and reduce the UK's import dependence. Our energy efficiency policies, support for the European Emissions Trading Scheme, endorsement of new nuclear, encouragement of renewable energy, piloting of electric vehicles and introduction of the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation are all intended to reduce both our CO2 emissions and our dependence on any one type of fuel from any one set of countries, increasing the diversity and hence resilience of our energy system.

Fuel Poverty

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of households in  (a) Peterborough,  (b) Cambridgeshire and  (c) the UK which were in fuel poverty in the last year for which figures are available.

Joan Ruddock: Most recent estimates of fuel poverty are available for 2006 and show that in the UK there were around 3.5 million households living in fuel poverty in 2006. No sub-regional split of fuel poverty exists for 2006.
	The most recently available sub-regional split of fuel poverty relates to 2003, and shows that in Peterborough there were around 4,100 fuel poor households in 2003, and around 17,200 in Cambridgeshire. In 2003, there were around two million households living in fuel poverty in the UK.

Fuel Poverty

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the percentage of households living in fuel poverty who are on a social tariff from their energy supplier; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: The requested data do not exist.
	Ofgem publish information on the number of customers benefiting from social assistance offered by suppliers, but it does not state how many of these are living in fuel poverty.

Renewable Energy

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what funding is being provided by his Department for alternative energy technologies in the next three years.

Mike O'Brien: DECC provides capital grant and other funding for the demonstration and pre-commercial deployment of low carbon and renewable energy technologies under the Environmental Transformation Fund, which has a budget of 400 million over the 2008 to 2011 CSR period. This includes support for the Carbon Trust innovation portfolio. The Government also provide support for renewables through market drivers such as the renewables obligation, which is expected to be worth around a billion pounds a year by 2010.
	In addition, DIUS, through the Research Councils Energy Technologies Institute and Technology Strategy board, provides support for energy research and development and for business innovation. The regional development agencies, devolved Administrations and the European Union also offer a range of support for research into new energy technologies.

Renewable Energy

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change for what reasons the consultation on the feed-in tariff is not scheduled to begin until the summer of 2009.

Mike O'Brien: We have amended the Energy Bill to introduce feed-in tariffs (FITs) for small-scale low carbon electricity generation (beneath 3 MW).
	We intend to consult next summer on the proposed feed-in tariff mechanism to ensure that interactions with the existing licensing framework are fully considered, and on proposed tariff levels for the scheme.
	In order to consult, we will need to gain further understanding and evidence on the scheme design and cost predictions for the various technologies and develop uptake models, so that we can ensure that we introduce a scheme that can effectively encourage deployment at this scale.

Renewable Energy: EC Action

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  for what reason the Government requested article 5(2) to be inserted in the proposed Directive on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources (COM (2008) 19) be inserted; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of a Severn tidal power scheme's compliance with article 5(2) of the proposed Directive on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources (COM (2008) 19).

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 17 November 2008
	 It is too early to say whether a Severn tidal power scheme would comply with article 5(2) of the draft directive. 10 scheme proposals are currently under consideration within the feasibility study and it is likely that most of these, though not necessarily all, could meet its provisions. Subject to internal review, I expect to consult publicly in early 2009 on a proposed shortlist and the work to be done in the next phase of the feasibility study.
	The origin of article 5(2) was a proposal by the European Commission which enshrines the principle, which the UK Government share, that the directive should support, and indeed promote, large-scale renewable energy projects.

Renewable Energy: Expenditure

Adam Ingram: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much of the 500 million allocated to be spent from 2002 on research and development and capital grants for emerging renewable and low carbon technologies has been spent to date; how much has been allocated to projects in each category; what projects have been supported under each category; and what the spend allocation in Scotland was.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 17 November 2008
	Spend to end March 2008 under the programmes listed, which were introduced at different points over the period, totals 233.4 million. All of these programmes except the Major PV Demonstration Programme and Clear Skies are projected to continue to spend during the period 2008-09 to 2010-11 and in some cases well beyond.
	Spend on the main programme activities is also set out. It has not been possible to provide a breakdown of the Clear Skies or the R and D Programme spend by technology or by projects supported under each category and details of spend allocation for Scotland for all programmes in the time available at proportionate cost.
	
		
			   million 
			  Programme/technology  Actual spend to date (end 2007-08) 
			 Offshore wind capital grant programme 76.75 
			  Of which spend allocation to Scotland 11.8 million  
			   
			 Bioenergy capital grant programme 34.6 
			  Of which spend allocation to Scotland 14.4 million  
			   
			 Major PV Demonstration Programme 30.1 
			   
			 Clear Skies (Micro wind, Biomass, Heat Pumps, Micro hydro, Solar Thermal Hot Water) 12. 1 
			   
			 Marine Renewable Deployment Fund 1.62 
			   
			 Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 1 (LCB) 7.3 
			  Of which spend allocation to Scotland 0.26 million  
			   
			 Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 2 (LCB) 1.9 
			  Of which spend allocation to Scotland 0.15 million  
			   
			 Hydrogen and Fuel Cells and Carbon Abatement Demonstration Programme (HFCAT) 0.20 
			   
			 New and Renewables R and D programme/Technology Programme 71 
			  Of which spend allocation to Scotland 7.9 million  
			   
			 Total 233.4

Science: Finance

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much he has allocated to his Department's science budget under main headings for each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The final budget for DECC will be agreed once negotiations on the machinery of government changes with BERR, DEFRA are complete.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Icelandic Bank Deposits: Scotland and Wales

Jim Devine: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations she has received on assistance to local authorities in Scotland and Wales in respect of deposits they held in Icelandic banks; from whom such representations have been received; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: Local government in Scotland and Wales is the responsibility of the relevant devolved administration. The Welsh Local Government Association attended a meeting that the Economic Secretary to the Treasury and I had with LGA leaders on 15 October. Dr. Brian Gibbons, Welsh Assembly Minister, and Wayne David, Wales Office, also attended. The Department has not received any other representations.

Local Government: Constitutional Independence

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will bring forward proposals to establish constitutionally independent local government; and if she will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: The United Kingdom's constitution is not consolidated in a single document. Rather it comprises statute law, common law and conventions in which Parliament is sovereign and the statutory independence of local government is set out in the various Local Government Acts. There are no current plans to bring forward proposals to change these arrangements.

Communities in Control White Paper

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made on the implementation of the Communities in Control White Paper, with particular reference to the introduction of new empowerment measures in the current economic climate.

Hazel Blears: Very good progress has been made in implementing the White Paper Communities in Control including developing an Asset Transfer Unit, publishing a Participatory Budgeting strategy and launching a review into redress for council services. We have consulted on a wide range of detailed propositions. Strengthening community influence and control is critical in times of economic downturn and can help deliver value for money public services. We continue to deliver our commitments and aim to bring forward legislation as soon as possible.

Regeneration Schemes: Employment Opportunities

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department has taken through regeneration schemes to maintain employment opportunities.

John Healey: We are working on a number of fronts to ensure that our approach to regeneration supports employment opportunities, particularly for the most vulnerable.
	Last year we launched the 1.5 billion Working Neighbourhoods Fund (WNF) to provide resources to local authorities that have the highest concentrations of worklessness.
	Looking forward, we have recently completed the consultation period on the document 'Transforming Places, Changing Lives'. This sets out new proposals to ensure that future regeneration activity acts to promote economic opportunity in our most deprived communities.

Regeneration Schemes: Employment Opportunities

Mark Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department has taken through regeneration schemes to maintain employment opportunities.

Hazel Blears: We are working on a number of fronts to ensure that our approach to regeneration supports employment opportunities, particularly for the most vulnerable.
	Last year we launched the 1.5 billion Working Neighbourhoods Fund (WNF) to provide resources to local authorities that have the highest concentrations of worklessness.
	Looking forward, we have recently completed the consultation period on the document Transforming Places, Changing Lives. This sets out new proposals to ensure that future regeneration activity acts to promote economic opportunity in our most deprived communities.

Repossessions

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps the Government is taking to help working families facing the prospect of home repossession.

Margaret Beckett: The Government are committed to taking action to prevent households facing repossession. We are working with a range of stakeholders including mortgage lenders, local authorities, the courts and third sector advice agencies to ensure that appropriate support is available for all households in financial difficulty. On 2 September we announced plans for a mortgage rescue scheme targeted at the most vulnerable households facing repossession.

Community Cohesion

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department is taking to encourage community cohesion.

Sadiq Khan: Last year we announced a renewed commitment to community cohesion with a 50 million investment over three years and a new public service agreement to build cohesive, active and empowered communities. We continue to support local authorities in delivering improvements in cohesion by providing a framework of guidance and targeted local support.

Fire Cover: Northamptonshire and England

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of provision of fire cover for  (a) Northamptonshire and  (b) England.

Sadiq Khan: Fire and Rescue Authorities are required by the Fire and Rescue Service National Framework to have in place, and to maintain, Integrated Risk Management Plans which reflect local needs and set out plans to tackle effectively both existing and potential risks to communities.
	It would not be appropriate for Ministers to comment on the contents of the IRMP drawn up by Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Authority or any other authority. That is the role of elected members of the authority.
	Earlier this year Communities and Local Government commissioned a comprehensive research project to look at the adequacy and impact of IRMP on a nationwide basis. A report will be issued shortly.

Local Community Empowerment

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what measures her Department has implemented to empower local communities to determine the future of their local areas.

Sadiq Khan: Very good progress has been made in implementing the White Paper Communities in Control including developing an Asset Transfer Unit, publishing a Participatory Budgeting strategy and launching a review into redress of council services. We have also consulted in a wide range of detailed propositions. We continue to deliver key White Paper commitments to empower local communities and aim to bring forward legislation as soon as possible.

Local Authorities: Economy

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assistance her Department is providing to local authorities to deal with the current economic situation; and if she will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: The Government are providing continued investment for local authorities to enable them to deliver effective services, with an additional 8.91 billion in Government grant from 2008-09 to 2010-11 as part of the first three-year settlement for councils. This increase in funding and greater predictability will allow councils to cope with the pressures they face as a result of the current economic climate.

Regional Development Agencies: Planning Powers

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations she has received on proposals to grant regional planning powers to regional development agencies.

Iain Wright: We received over 500 responses to the formal consultation, from a wide range of interests, most of whom commented on our proposal to give RDAs responsibility for regional strategy. We have taken the range of views on our proposals into account in formulating our response which we intend to publish shortly.

Local Area Agreements and Local Strategic Partnerships

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the contribution which can be made by local area agreements and local strategic partnerships to local economies in the current economic climate.

John Healey: Local Area Agreements are key to bringing local partners together to focus on effective joint action in local areas. LAAs are already strongly focused on improving local economies. Nine in 10 local areas have a target on tackling worklessness and five out of six areas have a target on getting 16 to 18-year-olds into education, training or employment. LAAs will help empower local areas to respond to the downturn in ways that best make sense locally.

Flood Plains: Planning Policy Guidance Note 25

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions she has had on the application of Planning Policy Guidance 25 to development on flood plains; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State holds regular discussions with the Chairman of the Environment Agency on flood risk. A new Practice Guide was launched in June this year by the former Minister of State for Housing and Planning, my right hon. Friend the Member for Don Valley, to assist planners in implementing Planning Policy Statement 25. The Government are working closely with local authorities, the Environment Agency and other stakeholders to ensure that the policy is properly implemented and delivered on the ground, including holding conferences, presentations and workshops aimed at a range of audiences.

Affordable Housing: London

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions she has had with the Mayor of London on demand for affordable housing in London.

Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions she has had with the Mayor of London on demand for affordable housing in London.

Margaret Beckett: I met with Boris Johnson on 21 October. We both want more affordable housing. Government have agreed targets with some boroughs through local area agreements. We both agree we should be as joined-up as possible, to maximise targets and avoid confusion.

Airwave Service

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what organisations for which her Department is responsible  (a) use and  (b) are planning to use Airwave handsets.

Sadiq Khan: Within CLG the Firelink project is providing Fire and Rescue Service with a new wide area radio system from Airwave Solutions Limited. Some New Dimension vehicles provided to the Fire and Rescue Service by CLG are equipped with Airwave radios, the remainder will be furnished with radios during the main Firelink roll-out. Information is not held by CLG in relation to local authority use of Airwave.

Arson

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent steps have been taken to reduce the incidence of arson.

Sadiq Khan: Fire and rescue services have used 11.4 million pump-priming funding from my Department to develop schemes at a local level in partnership with others in the community to tackle arson. There a number of Local Strategic Partnerships, where fire and rescue services are now statutory partners, which have chosen to set local targets for reducing arson. In addition, the Arson Control Forum continues to bring together a wide range of partners from the public, private and third sector to consider arson reduction and develop strategies to assist in its continued reduction.

Community Relations: Students

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans her Department has to deal with the effects on local communities of large numbers of students taking up residence in their area.

Iain Wright: My Department has recently published research entitled 'Evidence Gathering: Housing in Multiple Occupation and possible planning responses - Final Report'. This independent research sets out a series of cross cutting measures that could address the effects that concentrations of houses in multiple occupation (particularly those occupied by students) can have on local communities. These measures include new planning mechanisms and the widespread adoption of a number of the best common sense local solutions by local authorities and the universities. We are currently considering how best to take forward these recommendations.
	Local authorities already have a range of powers to help them tackle the effects of concentrations of houses in multiple occupation and there is much evidence of good practice in this area. In January 2006 the Education Minister launched the Dfes funded Universities UK Guide 'Studentification: a guide to opportunities, challenges and practice' which offered a toolkit for assessing and addressing the barriers to good community relationships between established residents and students in towns and cities. The guide stresses that the complex issues of 'studentification' need joint working between all agencies and the community.

Departmental Assets

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 30 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1260W, on departmental assets, what timetable she has set for her Department's information asset register to be made available on the Inforoute website.

Sadiq Khan: The information asset register will be available via Inforoute in December 2008 with fuller content updated and migrated by the end of February 2009.

Departmental Contracts

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 30 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1260W, on departmental contracts, what the names are of  (a) the 111 tenders that have gone through the invitations to tender system and  (b) the projects with which the tenders were associated.

Sadiq Khan: Please see the following table which links ITTs to projects or programmes.
	
		
			  ITT title  Project/division 
			 Preventing Violent Extremism Pathfinder FundRapid Evidence Assessment Preventing Extremism 
			 Eland House Incident Control Office and Emergency Suite Estates 
			 Assessment on Energy in New Non Domestic Buildings Energy Performance of Buildings 
			 Options for dealing with debt in local authority housing Housing and Planning 
			 Planning Directorate Framework Agreement Housing and Planning 
			 Interim Green Flag Award Arrangement Local Government Strategy and Research 
			 European Regional Development Fund Management and Control Information System European Policy and Programmes 
			 Internal Audit ServiceProvision of Temporary Staff on Closure of European Regional Development Fund Programmes 2000/2006 Internal Audit 
			 Coastal ErosionCase Study Policy Research Housing and Planning 
			 Peer Mentoring Scheme 2008/09 Strategy and Performance 
			 Assessing the benefits of sprinklers in high buildings Fire and Resilience 
			 REACH Media Analysis Project Cohesion Directorate 
			 Procurement of a Recruitment Consultant: Beacons Housing and Planning 
			 Energy Assessment Services Energy Performance of Buildings 
			 Review of Data Returns from Fire and Rescue Services Fire and Resilience 
			 Pilot on standards and recruitment for Chaplains and Imams Cohesion Directorate 
			 REACH Role Modelling CampaignExperimental Message Testing Cohesion Directorate 
			 Citizenship Survey Cohesion Directorate 
			 Interim Specialist ContractorProcurement Advisor Support to Corporate Procurement Division Corporate Procurement 
			 Land Supply Assessment Checks Housing and Planning 
			 Recruitment of Chair for the Infrastructure Planning Commission Housing and Planning 
			 Corporate Stakeholder Survey 2008 Communications Division 
			 Evaluation of REACH Role Modelling Project Cohesion Directorate 
			 Finance Process Consultant Finance Division 
			 Timely Information to CitizensReview of UK and International Practice Cohesion Directorate 
			 Timely Information to CitizensWorkshops Cohesion Directorate 
			 Community Builders Procurement Consultant Empowerment Directorate 
			 FireControlConsultancy for the National Land and Property Gazetteer Data (NLPG) Fire and Resilience 
			 Project Management Office Process improvement support to Thames Gateway Executive Thames Gateway 
			 To update the cost of Fire model Fire and Resilience 
			 Integrated Management Architecture Local Government Strategy and Research 
			 Thames GatewaySurvey of the Thames Path Thames Gateway 
			 Develop a database for Local Authority Performance Housing and Planning 
			 Enabling More Efficient Information Sharing Across Government Local Government Strategy and Research 
			 Validation of Statement of Requirements at 232/242 Vauxhall Bridge Road Housing and Planning 
			 FirecontrolDirector Training for New Local Authority Controlled Companies Fire and Resilience 
			 Queen Elizabeth II Conference CentreBoiler Replacement Project Estates 
			 Fire and Resilience Service Private Financial InitiativeTransactor Fire and Resilience 
			 Review of Training Provisions for Imams and scholars in the UK Cohesion Directorate 
			 Impact Assessments for Amendments to the Building Regulations Housing and Planning 
			 Interim Programme Manager to lead the Telephony Services ProgrammeCLG Corporate Services 
			 Network Structure Design Consultancy Support Regional Co-ordination Unit 
			 Convening and Administration of a Theology Board Cohesion Directorate 
			 Building Regulations Research and Development Framework Housing and Planning 
			 Data Provisions for Local Economic Development and Renewal Local Government Strategy and Research 
			 Provision of a Web Mapping Service Corporate Services 
			 Green Flag Delivery Scheme 2008 Local Government Strategy and Research 
			 Accountancy Advice and Support for FiReControl Project Fire and Resilience 
			 Procurement Project ManagerManagement Control and Information Service (MCIS) European Policy and Programmes 
			 Approach Guidance for Supporting the Development of Local Information Systems Local Government Strategy and Research 
			 Killian/Pretty Review for faster and more responsive service for Planning Applications Housing and Planning 
			 Review of Information Requirements for planning Applications Housing and Planning 
			 Review of council housing finance Housing and Planning 
			 Understanding Permeable and Impermeable Surfaces Housing and Planning 
			 Open Space Works Phase II Move Contractor Estates 
			 Government Office Survey Regional Co-ordination Unit 
			 Eco Town Delivery Study Housing and Planning 
			 Recruitment of Board members for Homes and Communities Agency and Oftenant Homes and Communities 
			 Thames Gateway Housing Land Register and Trajectory Thames Gateway 
			 National Tenant Voice (NTV) Consultation Seminars Housing and Planning 
			 Personal Information Managing System (PIMS) Application Support Corporate Services 
			 Eco-Towns Sustainability Appraisal (ETSA) Housing and Planning 
			 National co-ordinating body for home improvement agencies Housing and Planning 
			 Research into the Decontamination of Body Bags Fire and Resilience 
			 Evaluation of the effectiveness of Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 Fire and Resilience 
			 Research for Choice Based Lettings Housing and Planning 
			 Fire Control Testing Support Fire and Resilience 
			 Interim Commercial DirectorFiReControl Fire and Resilience 
			 Risk assessment research work in support of the FSEC toolkit and related app. Fire and Resilience 
			 Evaluation of the Home Fire Risk Check and Fire Prevention Grant Programmes Housing and Planning 
			 Local Information System Cost Benefit Analysis Research Local Government and Regeneration 
			 Gypsy and Traveller Site Grant Cohesion Directorate 
			 Economic benefits Delivered by the New Dimension Programme Fire and Resilience 
			 Strategic Environmental Assessment and Suistainability Appraisal Housing and Planning 
			 Cost Benefit Analysis Fire and Rescue in New Build Homes Fire and Resilience 
			 Interim Database Administration Support for PIMS Corporate Services 
			 Contact Point for the North West Europe Territorial Cooperation Programme European Policy and Programmes 
			 Digital Exclusion Profiling of Vulnerable Groups Cohesion Directorate 
			 Review of General Development Order Housing and Planning 
			 Analysis of the Matthew Taylor Review call for evidence Housing and Planning 
			 Status Messaging and Voice Recording Interface and Mobile Terminal installation Corporate Services 
			 Thames Gateway Implementation Plan 2008-2009 Thames Gateway 
			 Response Times Research Fire and Resilience 
			 Digital Inclusion Communications Research Local Government and Regeneration 
			 Evidence Gathering Exercise into Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) Housing and Planning 
			 Framework of Standards/Recruitment process for Chaplins in Public Institutions Cohesion Directorate 
			 Recruitment of a new Chair for West Northamptonshire Development Corporation Housing and Planning 
			 Interim Procurement Support for Corporate Procurement Division (CPD) Corporate Procurement 
			 National Resilience Extranet Fire and Resilience 
			 Provision of Regional Boards of Medical Referees Local Government and Regeneration 
			 Firecontrol FM ServicesBest and Final Offer Fire and Resilience 
			 Temporary Agency Staff Services Human Resources 
			 Fire and Resilience Service Incident Response ServiceXML Schema Development Maintenance and Support Fire and Resilience 
			 Support for CLG Delivery Unit Delivery Unit 
			 Recruitment of Social Housing Regulator CEO and Chair Housing and Planning 
			 Commercial Energy Performance Certificate Register Energy Performance of Buildings 
			 Procurement AdvisorFire and Resilience Programme Fire and Resilience 
			 Multi-Disciplinary Consultancy Corporate Services 
			 GIS Presentation and Analysis Interim Corporate Delivery 
			 Independent Auditor to Supporting People Programme Cohesion Directorate 
			 Special Advisor to CLG on Implementation of Social Housing Mobility Services Housing and Planning 
			 Evaluation of Integrated Risk Management Plan Fire and Resilience 
			 Commercial Energy Performance Certificate Register Energy Performance of Buildings 
			 Provision of Non-functional Test Development Support to the FSED Fire and Resilience 
			 GI Technical Specialist for PGA Analytical Services 
			 Internal Audit Services (IAS) in Partnership with the Private Sector Internal Audit 
			 Appointment of an EPSON Contact Point (ECP) Housing and Planning 
			 Fire and Resilience Directorate Programme Director Fire and Resilience 
			 Firelink and Firecontrol Cost Assurance Exercise Fire and Resilience 
			 Study on Urban Search and Rescue Fire and Resilience 
			 Increasing the Civic Participation of Women from Under Represented Groups Cohesion Directorate

Eco-Towns

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions she has had on the establishment of eco-towns.

Iain Wright: The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, the Minister for Housing and Planning and myself have meetings with many external organisations and individuals on a wide range of subjects every week, and some of these will include discussion of eco-towns policy. As part of the Department's business we also have discussions with officials about the eco-towns policy, but details of these are not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.

Eco-towns: Finance

John Maples: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the Government's proposed contribution to infrastructure costs in respect of each of the proposed eco-towns on which she is consulting.

Iain Wright: We are still consulting on eco-towns and no decisions have yet been taken on the final list of schemes with the potential to go forward as eco-towns. The expectation has always been that the bulk of investment needed to create an eco-town will come from the private sector. PricewaterhouseCoopers are currently assessing scheme proposals and the potential for costs to be funded by development without recourse to public subsidy. However, there will also be projects that we may support through direct funding to local authorities using the Growth Areas Fund and from mainstream funding programmes.

Eco-towns: Finance

John Maples: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will publish the report made to her Department by PricewaterhouseCoopers on the financial viability of eco-towns.

Iain Wright: PricewaterhouseCoopers were commissioned to assess the financial viability of eco-town schemes earlier this year. The assessment is still under way and a final assessment is due to be submitted to the Department within the next couple of months. Early next year, at the end of eco-towns process, we expect to publish findings from the PwC assessment and other evidence that will inform decisions on the final list of schemes with potential to become eco-towns. Any published findings and associated analysis will of course respect commercial sensitivities.

Eco-towns: Long Marston

John Maples: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department has spent on legal fees in defending the application for administrative review brought by David Bliss and others in respect of the proposed eco-town at Long Marston; how much her Department has allocated for expenditure on the case up to the time it is heard; and how much it has allocated for its legal fees incurred in each case.

Iain Wright: At this stage, in defending the application for administrative review in respect of the proposed eco-town at Long Marston, costs of approximately 22,000 have been incurred by the Department. However, this figure represents a snapshot as costs will continue to be incurred up until the court hearing (date to be confirmed). There is no fixed allocation as such for costs in this case or in respect of any such future cases that might arise.
	We believe we have acted properly throughout the eco-towns process and will defend this claim vigorously. The Government remain of the view that the claim is premature in challenging an on-going consultation process.

Empty Homes Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding the Empty Homes Agency received from  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies in each of the last three years.

Iain Wright: The Empty Homes Agency received 100,000 of grant funding from the Department in each of the last three years. The Agency also received funding of 18,156 from the Housing Corporation in 2005-06.

Fire Prevention: Publicity

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the advertising campaign Put it out, right out, has cost.

Sadiq Khan: The most recent Put it out, right out advertising ran in January and February 2007, as part of the overall Fire Kills campaign, promoting the importance of carefully disposing of smoking products. The specific cost of advertising space bought for the Put it out, right out advertising during this period was 663,948.
	The Put it out, right out advertising also ran as part of the Fire Kills campaigns run by the Department's predecessor, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, in the financial years 2002-03 and 2003-04. Specific costs for media space bought as part of these campaigns are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Fire Prevention: Publicity

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the advertising campaign Push the Button has cost.

Sadiq Khan: The most recent 'Push the Button' advertising ran in August and September 2006, as part of the overall Fire Kills campaign. The specific cost of advertising space bought for the 'Push the Button' advertising during this period was 749,304.
	The 'Push the Button' advertising also ran as part of the Fire Kills campaigns run by the Department's predecessor, The Office Of The Deputy Prime Minister, in the financial years 2003-04 and 2004-05. Specific costs for media space bought as part of these campaigns are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Fire Service: Crimes of Violence

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many attacks were recorded on firefighters in 2007-08; and if she will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: My Department collects figures on attacks on firefighters based on returns from Fire and Rescue Authorities. 967 attacks in England in 2007-08 were reported to us.

Fire Services

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department has made available to fire authorities on the operational safety of firefighters in the last three years; and if she will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: Guidance is issued to fire and rescue authorities in many forms including fire and rescue service circulars, fire service manuals and generic risk assessments; guidance has also been issued through the New Dimension Programme to complement the vehicles, equipment and training associated with this.
	Following the appointment of the chief fire and rescue adviser in October 2007, a framework for the future development of operational guidance has been developed, including a priority programme of work for 2008-09. This programme has begun and includes the involvement of a wide range of stakeholders. As part of this framework, an additional four pieces of operational guidance has recently been published and issued to all fire and rescue authorities.

Fire Services

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 30 October 2008 , Official Report, column 1264W, on Firebuy Ltd, what the  (a) running costs and  (b) business-generated income of Firebuy Ltd have been in the year to date.

Sadiq Khan: In the period from 1 April to 31 October 2008, Firebuy Ltd's running costs were 1,439,872 and its business-generated income was 65,362.

Fire Services

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what  (a) suppliers and  (b) contractors have provided goods or services in relation to the FiReControl programme.

Sadiq Khan: The suppliers listed as follows have been paid more than 500,000 since 2002. In addition, many other businesses have been paid smaller amounts.
	
		
			  Supplier  Services/goods 
			 PA Consulting Consultancy 
			 EADS IT Infrastructure Supplier 
			 Turner and Townsend Property advisers 
			 Denton Wilde Sapte Legal advisers 
			 Actica Consultancy 
			 Atkins Transport Planning Consultancy 
			 Comwell Management Consultants Consultancy 
			 Leafrange Ltd. RCC Estates (SW) 
			 PKF Financial advisers 
			 Chief Fire Officers Association Seconded Personnel 
			 Electronic Commerce Assoc Ltd. Consultancy 
			 Lingley Mere RCC Estates (NW) 
			 Control Centre Partnership RCC Estates (WM and NE) 
			 Flagship Training Ltd. Facilities Management 
			 Innogistics Software provider 
			 Greater Manchester Fire Seconded Fire Officers

Fire Services

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the minimum period is that a fire fighter must have trained before commencing operational duty.

Sadiq Khan: It is the responsibility of individual fire and rescue authorities to ensure that their operational staff receive the appropriate training before carrying out operational duties.

Fire Services

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many fire fighters died whilst on duty in each of the last 20 years.

Sadiq Khan: The information requested, for the fire and rescue services in England, is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Firefighter deaths while on duty, England 1988-89 to 2007-08 
			   Number 
			 1988-89 2 
			 1989-90 5 
			 1990-91 5 
			 1991-92 4 
			 1992-93 3 
			 1993-94 3 
			 1994-95 1 
			 1995-96(1) 1 
			 1996-97 1 
			 1997-98(2) 3 
			 1998-99 2 
			 1999-2000 3 
			 2000-01 3 
			 2001-02 1 
			 2002-03(3) 3 
			 2003-04 1 
			 2004-05 4 
			 2005-06 0 
			 2006-07(4) 2 
			 2007-08 5 
			 (1) Excludes one firefighter death at a special service incident, while off duty. (2) Excludes one firefighter death in a road traffic collision while on a pump while off duty. (3) Excludes one firefighter death attending a fire, while off duty. (4) Excludes media technician died while attending a fire.  Source: Communities and Local Government

Fire Services: Industrial Disputes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what contingency plans are in place in the event of a firefighters strike; and whether her Department is responsible for implementing those plans.

Sadiq Khan: Individual fire and rescue authorities have responsibility for maintaining and implementing contingency plans in respect of strikes by firefighters in their area.

Fire Services: Per Capita Costs

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much per capita funding has been provided from central government for each fire authority in England in the latest period for which figures are available.

Sadiq Khan: Provisional outturn central Government grant per head in 2007-08 for each fire authority in England is tabled as follows.
	
		
			per head 
			 Greater London Authority n/a 
			   
			 Greater Manchester Fire and CD Authority 29 
			 Merseyside Fire and CD Authority 34 
			 South Yorkshire Fire and CD Authority 27 
			 Tyne and Wear Fire and CD Authority 35 
			 West Midlands Fire and CD Authority 30 
			 West Yorkshire Fire and CD Authority 25 
			   
			 Avon Combined Fire Authority 24 
			 Bedfordshire Combined Fire Authority 18 
			 Berkshire Combined Fire Authority 18 
			 Buckinghamshire Combined Fire Authority 17 
			 Cambridgeshire Combined Fire Authority 16 
			 Cheshire Combined Fire Authority 17 
			 Cleveland Combined Fire Authority 39 
			 Derbyshire Combined Fire Authority 17 
			 Devon and Somerset Combined Fire Authority 20 
			 Dorset Combined Fire Authority 15 
			 Durham Combined Fire Authority 22 
			 East Sussex Combined Fire Authority 18 
			 Essex Combined Fire Authority 18 
			 Hampshire Combined Fire Authority 17 
			 Hereford and Worcester Combined Fire Authority 16 
			 Humberside Combined Fire Authority 27 
			 Kent Combined Fire Authority 18 
			 Lancashire Combined Fire Authority 23 
			 Leicestershire Combined Fire Authority 19 
			 North Yorkshire Combined Fire Authority 17 
			 Nottinghamshire Combined Fire Authority 20 
			 Shropshire Combined Fire Authority 16 
			 Staffordshire Combined Fire Authority 16 
			 Wiltshire Combined Fire Authority 14 
			   
			 Cornwall n/a 
			 Cumbria n/a 
			 Gloucestershire n/a 
			 Hertfordshire n/a 
			 Lincolnshire n/a 
			 Norfolk n/a 
			 Northamptonshire n/a 
			 Northumberland n/a 
			 Oxfordshire n/a 
			 Suffolk n/a 
			 Surrey n/a 
			 Warwickshire n/a 
			 West Sussex n/a 
			 Isles of Scilly n/a 
			   
			 Isle of Wight UA n/a 
			 n/a = The information on central Government grant for these authorities is not available as it is not possible to separately identify the funding for fire and rescue services. This is because formula grant is unhypothecated.  Source: Communities and Local Government provisional Revenue Outturn (RO) 2007-08 returns. 
		
	
	Central Government grant is defined here as the sum of Formula Grant (Revenue Support Grant and redistributed non-domestic rates) and specific grants inside Aggregate External Finance (AEF), ie revenue grants paid for council's core services. It excludes grants outside AEF (ie where funding is not for authorities' core services, but is passed to a third party), capital grants and those grant programmes (such as European funding) where authorities are simply one of the recipients of funding paid towards an area.
	Population figures used in the calculation are the Office for National Statistics' (ONS) Mid-Year Population estimates for 2007.

Fire Services: Safety

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what account she takes of firefighter safety in reviewing the efficacy of integrated risk management plans published by fire and rescue services; and if she will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: The responsibility for drawing up, reviewing and maintaining integrated risk management plans (IRMPs) lies with the elected members of Fire and Rescue Authorities (FRAs); it is not for Ministers or Government officials to review or intervene in the operational proposals in individual FRAs' IRMPs.
	The Audit Commission is an independent watchdog, which assesses economy, efficiency and effectiveness in local public services. The Commission is responsible for reviewing the effectiveness of FRAs including individual FRAs' IRMPs.
	Communities and Local Government is taking the lead on work to produce operational guidance, that supports firefighter safety. The Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser has agreed, in collaboration with key stakeholders such as the Chief Fire Officers Association and the Fire Brigades Union, a priority programme of work for 2008-09, and is developing the longer-term and sustainable framework for the development of future guidance.

Fire Services: South West

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what contingency plans she has should the South West fire control room not become operational;
	(2)  whether the existing county fire brigade control rooms in the South West will have any function when the South West regional fire control room is fully operational.

Sadiq Khan: The existing arrangements stay in place until the 'cut-over' of the South West regional control centre. There will be no call handling or call mobilising function for the existing county fire brigade control rooms in the South West once the regional control centre is operational.

Fire Services: Standards

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has for the introduction of national fire standards.

Sadiq Khan: The Government have no plans to reintroduce national standards of fire cover.
	The prescriptive national standards of fire cover were abolished in 2003 with the introduction of integrated risk management planning, enabling Fire and Rescue Authorities to tailor cover for fire and other incidents to local circumstances by evaluating where risk is greatest and allocating resource accordingly.
	Decisions made by local politicians and practitioners according to local circumstances are more effective than blanket requirements across the country.

Fires

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many domestic fires were caused by  (a) cigarettes and  (b) candles in the latest year for which figures are available.

Sadiq Khan: In England, in 2006, there were 1,300 dwelling fires started by candles and 2,400 dwelling fires started by smokers' materials. Cigarettes are recorded within this wider category.

Fires: Death

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent steps have been taken to reduce the numbers of accident-related fire deaths.

Sadiq Khan: The Government are committed to reducing preventable fire deaths and injuries from fire. Fire deaths in the home in the UK are at their lowest since the 1950s, and the long-term trend is downwards. In 1997 in England, 362 people died in house fires, compared to the current figure of 233 fire deaths in the home in 2006.
	The Fire Kills campaign is one of our key strands of work to drive down deaths and injuries from fire. The range of public awareness media campaigns run by the Government have sent powerful messages to the public about the importance of fire safety in the home, in particular the importance of having a working smoke alarm installed. Ownership of smoke alarms in England now stands at 80 per cent. of households and we are seeking to raise it further as evidence suggests that those without alarms are often in those groups who are most at risk from fire. The next media campaign will commence on 26 December 2008 and will run for one month promoting the key message of the importance to test and maintain smoke alarms.
	The Government have also invested 25 million in grants during 2004-08 to Fire and Rescue Authorities to enable them to purchase smoke alarms to install in domestic dwellings. This pump-priming funding stream has resulted in just under 2 million Home Fire Risk Check visits to households in England, with over 2.4 million smoke alarms being installed in properties at higher risk from fire.

Green Belt

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 30 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1291W, whether the proposed Green Belt amendments involve the removal or weakening of Green Belt protection.

Iain Wright: A partial revision of the West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy has been submitted for an Examination in Public due to start in April 2009. Matters including the broad locations for new housing and whether amendments to the green belt are justified will be debated at the independent examination and it would be inappropriate for me to comment on the merits of any proposals now.
	Any proposed alteration to the extent of a green belt would have to meet the stringent policy criteria set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note 2, Green Belts.

Guildford Street Angels

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the contribution of church-led initiatives to increasing levels of safety in towns and cities, with particular reference to the Guildford Street Angels programme.

Sadiq Khan: Communities and Local Government is aware of the national Street Pastors programme to which the Guildford Street Angels project is similar. No formal assessment has been made by Communities and Local Government of such initiatives, though we value and support the important contribution that faith groups make to local communities.

Historic Counties Association

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what meetings she has held with the Historic Counties Association in the last 12 months; and what matters were discussed.

Sadiq Khan: My right hon. Friend has had no meetings with the Historic Counties Association.

Holocaust Memorial Day

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made on the arrangements for Holocaust Memorial Day 2009; and if she will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust receives an annual grant from Communities and Local Government which will help it this year to organise both the 2009 national commemoration (to be held in Coventry) and a range of educational and cultural events.
	The theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2009 is 'Stand Up to Hatred'examining what hatred means; how it can be enshrined in actions, language, propaganda and legislation; and how each of us can help make our communities stronger and safe. The choice of this particular theme will help to ensure that the 2009 commemoration and its supporting activities will make an important contribution to the Government's work.

Home Information Pack

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether a home information pack is required to be produced for the sale of a houseboat.

Iain Wright: No.

Home Information Packs

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make it her policy to extend the transitional arrangements for home information packs beyond 31 December 2008.

Iain Wright: An announcement will be made on this shortly.

Housing Starts

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of houses to be built each year until 2020 to attain her Department's target for three million new houses by that date; what progress has been made on that target; what proportion of such houses will be  (a) council housing,  (b) registered social landlord housing,  (c) affordable housing,  (d) private housing and  (e) buy to let housing; how much Government funding will be required each year to build (i) council housing, (ii) registered social landlord housing and (iii) affordable housing to meet that target; and what estimate she has made of the number of houses which will be built in each category in (A) 2008-09, (B) 2009-10 and (C) 2010-11 to meet that target.

Iain Wright: The Government set the overall strategy for housing supply in England. In 2006-07 199,200 additional homes were delivered. Housing starts in 2007-08 were 10 per cent. lower than in 2006-07 and this is likely to be reflected in lower levels of housing completions during 2008-09.
	The Housing Green Paper 'Homes for the Future: more affordable, more sustainable' (CM 7191), published in July 2007, announced an increase of new affordable housing to at least 70,000 per annum by 2010-11, to be delivered mainly through the Housing Corporation's National Affordable Housing Programme. Of these, 45,000 homes will be for social rent, an increase of 50 per cent. on 2007-08, with a goal to go further to 50,000 new homes for social rent in the next spending review period.
	The Government do not publish forecasts for private house building or estimates of the levels of house building for registered social landlords or local authorities.
	The Government are investing 8 billion in the provision of affordable housing over the three years 2008-11, initially through the Housing Corporation and then through the Homes and Communities Agency. Our aspiration is to reach 70,000 affordable homes a year by 2010-11. It remains too early, given current market conditions, to predict outputs in that year, or the intervening years, with certainty.
	Funds available for affordable housing from 2011-12 will be subject to decisions made at the next spending review.

Housing: Construction

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for how many permanent domestic dwellings construction was started in England in each year since 1979.

Iain Wright: The following table shows the number of annual house building starts on permanent dwellings in England from 1979 until 2007. All data given are for calendar years.
	
		
			  House Building Starts 
			   Number 
			 1979 186,230 
			 1980 131,340 
			 1981 133,990 
			 1982 167,410 
			 1983 193,330 
			 1984 173,460 
			 1985 173,460 
			 1986 187,090 
			 1987 200,800 
			 1988 220,010 
			 1989 166,380 
			 1990 133,470 
			 1991 133,800 
			 1992 129,300 
			 1993 151,230 
			 1994 165,440 
			 1995 136,230 
			 1996 144,710 
			 1997 157,570 
			 1998 149,060 
			 1999 147,510 
			 2000 144,520 
			 2001 147,610 
			 2002 149,060 
			 2003 159,440 
			 2004 176,600 
			 2005 177,130 
			 2006 177,200 
			 2007 166,350 
			  Source:  New build completions from P2 monthly and quarterly returns submitted by local authorities and the National House-Building Council (NHBC).

Housing: Construction

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether dwellings built on windfall sites may be counted towards house-building targets required from a local authority under a regional spatial strategy.

Iain Wright: Dwellings built on windfall sites can be counted towards the achievement of house-building targets, but local authorities should not rely on such sites coming forward to meet housing need. They should therefore not include an allowance for windfalls in the first 10 years of land supply unless they can provide robust evidence of genuine local circumstances that prevent specific sites being identified.

Housing: Fires

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes have been damaged by fire resulting from  (a) accidents and  (b) arson in the last 12 months.

Sadiq Khan: The latest 12 months for which these figures are available are September 2006 to August 2007. In England, during this period, there were 35,400 dwellings damaged as a result of accidental fires and 7,500 dwellings damaged as a result of deliberate fires.

Housing: Low Incomes

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what Government funds are available to registered social landlords for the construction of new social housing in Birmingham; and by what means they can be accessed.

Iain Wright: Through the Housing Corporation, and from 1 December the Homes and Communities Agency, the Affordable Housing Programme provides grant to registered social landlords and others, including developers and local authorities, to provide affordable housing either through new build or acquisition and refurbishment. We are providing 8 billion over the three years, 2008-11, to fund this programme. Of this around 467 million has been allocated indicatively for affordable housing in West Midlands.
	Bidding for these funds is now taking place on a continuing basis. To the end of October over 69 million has been allocated for schemes in West Midlands, of which 21 million is for schemes in Birmingham.

Housing: Low Incomes

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many unsold houses have been bought by the Government for affordable housing under its recent 200 million scheme.

Iain Wright: Developer stock units are purchased by the Housing Corporation's Affordable Housing Programme investment partners for the provision of either social rent or for sale on low cost home ownership terms. Funding is a mix of grant from the Housing Corporation and from the investment partner's own resources. As at the end of October, the Housing Corporation had allocated grant funding of 90 million for the purchase of 2,600 homes.

Housing: Low Incomes

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the proportion of existing social housing that meets current standards for new build social housing; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: We have made no assessment of what proportion of existing social homes would meet the standards for new build social housing.

Housing: Low Incomes

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many houses owned by local authorities for social accommodation there are.

Iain Wright: The number of dwellings owned by local authorities in England on 1 April 2007 was 1,987,340.
	 Source:
	Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix.

Housing: Recreation Spaces

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will encourage local authorities to take action to ensure that no one should live more than 500 metres from a two hectare wood or four kilometres from a 20 hectare wood.

Iain Wright: Planning Policy Guidance note 17: Planning for open space, sport and recreation (PPG17) already encourages local planning authorities to identify the specific needs for easily accessible, good quality open space, including woodland, within their areas. Authorities should use the information gained from their assessments of needs to establish an effective open space strategy which should form the basis for appropriate policies in their development plan. PPG17 requires local authorities to derive local standards for the provision of open space, as national standards cannot cater for local circumstances, such as the extent of existing built development in an area.

Housing: Thames Gateway

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether consideration has been given to encouraging residents living in inner London to move to new homes to be built as part of the Thames Gateway project.

Iain Wright: The objective of the Thames Gateway programme set out in the Delivery Plan are to provide substantial additional housing in the area: 160, 000 more new homes by 2016. New housing in the Thames Gateway will be built to a high standard of design and provided at an appropriate mix of sizes and tenures. This high quality new housing will not only benefit existing residents of the Thames Gateway, but will also be attractive to families currently living outside the Gateway. Those individuals would of course include residents of inner London, however it is not the role of Government to actively encourage residents to move from Inner London to the Thames Gateway.

Housing: Thames Gateway

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new homes will be built as part of the Thames Gateway project; and what estimate she has made of the average cost of building such homes.

Iain Wright: The Government's Thames Gateway programme is not directly responsible for the building of substantial quantities of new homes. Rather, through funding projects including site preparation and infrastructure provision, it facilitates the provision of new homes by the market. However, the Government have an aspiration that 160,000 additional new dwellings should be provided in the Thames Gateway from 2001 to 2016 inclusive. The Department has not made an assessment of the average cost of building new homes in the Thames Gateway, since this is largely a matter for the market.

Local Authorities: Procurement

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she has taken to facilitate prompt payments to suppliers on the part of local authorities.

John Healey: Local authorities are responsible for their own payment arrangements and have an excellent track record. I have invited the Local Government Association to let me know how authorities at this time are tackling this issue.

Local Government: Liability

Peter Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what requirements there are on local authorities to inform her Department of liabilities incurred in the course of their business undertakings.

John Healey: There are no requirements for local authorities to inform Communities and Local Government specifically about liabilities incurred in the course of their business undertakings. Certain information about their liabilities is disclosed in their published statement of accounts.

Local Government: Procurement

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of local authorities consistently making payment to suppliers within 30 days.

John Healey: The most recent data available show 95 per cent. of undisputed invoices were paid within 30 days or within mutually agreed terms.

Local Government: Religion

Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will issue guidance to local authorities on the inclusion of Christian prayers during council meetings and authorities' equality duties.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 14 March 2008,  Official Report, column 704W by my hon. Friend the Member for Gloucester (Mr. Dhanda), that the Department has no plans to issue guidance to local authorities on prayers at council meetings. The Equality and Human Rights Commission has issued guidance to public authorities on compliance with statutory equality duties, and it is important that local authorities satisfy themselves that their policies and practices are consistent with their equalities responsibilities.

Mobile Homes

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will establish a register of fit and proper owners of park home sites; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: Communities and Local Government intends to publish a consultation paper early in the new year setting out proposals to reform the existing site licensing system which applies to park home and other caravan sites. A key measure will be the proposal to introduce a fit and proper test for licence holders and others engaged in the management of sites.

Multiple Occupation

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she will publish the review of houses in multiple occupation and possible planning responses announced on 9 April 2008.

Iain Wright: The research work Evidence GatheringHousing in Multiple Occupation and possible planning responses was published on 26 September 2008. The report can be found at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/evidencegatheringresearch

Multiple Occupation: Licensing

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate her Department has made of  (a) the number of houses in multiple occupation licensed in each local authority area under mandatory licensing provisions of the Housing Act 2004 and  (b) the proportion of eligible properties this number represents.

Iain Wright: The numbers of HMO licences issued by each local authority under the provisions of the Housing Act 2004 and reported to the Government by 12 November 2008, together with the numbers of applications and of licenses refused, have been placed in the Library.
	The proportion of licensable HMOs that have been licensed is not available centrally.

Multiple Occupation: Licensing

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many applications have been received from local authorities to introduce additional licensing schemes for houses in multiple occupation; and how many such applications have been granted.

Iain Wright: The Department has received formal applications from Oxford city council and Breckland borough council for additional HMO licensing schemes, and officials are working with both authorities in order to progress their applications in the context of the guidance published by the Department. There have currently been no departmental approvals for additional HMO licensing schemes.

Neighbourhood Wardens: Crosby

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the percentage change in the number of neighbourhood wardens between 1997 and 2007 has been in  (a) Crosby constituency and  (b) England.

Sadiq Khan: CLG no longer directly funds warden schemes, and therefore no data are collected centrally on the number of schemes in operation.

Newcastle International Airport Company: Local Government

Peter Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will investigate the  (a) liabilities incurred and  (b) payments made from the public purse by the seven local authorities participating in the Newcastle International Airport Company in respect of payments to former members of its management board; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: Matters relating to liabilities incurred and payments made are for the local authorities involved. Local authorities are under a duty to achieve best value in carrying out their functions. Any concerns that a local authority has not achieved best value should be addressed to the auditor in the first instance.

Planning Inspectorate: Fees and Charges

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when the Planning Inspectorate is expected to start charging for appeals; and what estimate has been made of the Inspectorate's likely revenue from such charges in their first full year.

Iain Wright: The Department, in conjunction with the Planning Inspectorate, is currently formulating proposals on charging for appeals and will consult again publicly prior to introducing appeal fees. At present, we plan to introduce appeal fees from October 2009.

Regional Planning and Development: Equality

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 27 October 2008,  Official Report, column 718W, on equality and diversity partnerships, what funding the regional assemblies have given to regional equality and diversity partnerships in the last period for which figures are available.

Sadiq Khan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for Local Government on 6 October 2008,  Official Report, column 362W.

Regional Planning and Development: Thames Gateway

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new jobs she expects to be created as part of the Thames Gateway project.

Iain Wright: As set out in the Thames Gateway Delivery Plan (November 2007), the Government expect to see at least 225,000 new jobs by 2016, compared to 2001.

Regional Planning and Development: Thames Gateway

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent steps have been taken to ensure that the Thames Gateway project meets its target of becoming an eco-region.

Iain Wright: Government remain committed to establishing the Thames Gateway as an eco-region. Work continues to develop the concept and next steps will be announced in a prospectus to be published shortly. This will build on the commitments made and progress signalled in the November 2007 Thames Gateway Delivery Plan, the Regional Development Agencies' September 2008 Thames Gateway Economic Development Investment Plan and the October 2008 Parklands Vision.

Regional Planning and Development: Thames Gateway

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many acres of community recreational space are planned as part of the Thames Gateway project.

Iain Wright: Community recreational space in the Thames Gateway is delivered by a wide range of local delivery partners, and some projects are supported by central Government. However, central Government do not monitor how much recreational space is planned across the region overall. This information is managed at a local level and is included in the regional spatial strategies and local development frameworks.

Rented Housing: Private Sector

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to respond to the review of private rented sector housing led by Julie Rugg and David Rhodes.

Iain Wright: We will be responding to the Julie Rugg and David Rhodes review of the private rented sector within our forthcoming housing reform Green Paper. Currently we are discussing initial views on the review with key stakeholders. Those discussions will inform our initial response to the review.

Retail Trade: Planning

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the extent to which in-town trade diversion affects town centres; and whether this assessment will be taken into account in revisions to Planning Policy Statement 6.

Iain Wright: Our Proposed Changes to Planning Policy Statement 6: Planning for town centres, published on 10 July 2008, make clear that a key consideration to take into account when considering the impact of proposals for retail and leisure development is whether there will be an impact on in-centre trade/turnover, taking account of current and future consumer expenditure capacity in the catchment area of the proposal.
	In formulating our proposals we have taken account of a number of studies, particularly The Merry Hill Impact Study (DoE, 1993); The Impact of Large Foodstores on Market Towns and District Centres (DETR, 1998); and our research into The Policy Evaluation of the Effectiveness of PPG6 (ODPM, 2004).
	We have also had regard to planning cases decided by the Secretary of State and Inspectors, as indicated in our consultation document. We have also drawn upon a number of other reports to inform our proposals, including:
	(1) The Smaller Towns Report, published by the British Council of Shopping Centres in 2004; and
	(2) Town Centre and Retailing Methodologies, published by One Scotland in 2007.
	As we said in our consultation proposals, we expect to implement our revisions in spring 2009.

Retail Trade: Planning

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how the proposed revision of Planning Policy Statement 6 will protect and promote retail diversity.

Iain Wright: Our Proposed Changes to Planning Policy Statement 6: Planning for town centres, published on 10 July 2008, set out a strong policy framework within which local authorities should plan for their town centres and retail development. Our proposals recognise the importance of achieving a broad range of retailer representation, both large and small, to improve the attractiveness of town centres and promoting competition and consumer choice. To achieve this we are asking local authorities to plan proactively for their town centres by making full and effective use of available tools such as their development plan policies, planning conditions, Local Development Orders and Article 4 Directions. We are also asking them to promote competitive town centre environments by, where appropriate, giving priority consideration to whether the established character and diversity of their town centres should be protected and enhanced.
	Our proposed new impact test will also provide a more effective way of assessing the impact of unplanned proposals outside town centres by requiring applicants for such proposals to assess the extent to which a proposal will promote or undermine town centre vitality and viability, including the impact on local consumer choice and retail diversity in terms of the range, type and quality of goods.

Retail Trade: Planning

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to issue revised Planning Policy Statement 6; and whether the revised version will incorporate the recent recommendations of the Competition Commission on competition in the retail sector.

Iain Wright: As we said in our 'Proposed Changes to Planning Policy Statement 6: Planning for town centres', published on 10 July 2008, we expect to implement our revisions in spring 2009.
	Whether our revised policy will incorporate a 'competition test' for planning decisions on larger grocery stores, as recommended by the Competition Commission (CC), will depend on the outcome of the Tesco appeal to the Competition Appeal tribunal and our further consideration of the CC's proposals. As we said in the Government's response to the CC inquiry into UK groceries retailing in July, we will report more fully on our decision in the light of developments. Our published response can be viewed on the BERR website at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/bbf/competition/market-studies/supplyofgroceries/index.html

Severn Barrage

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she has provided guidance to planning authorities on the potential impact of a Severn Barrage on flooding in the south west and south Wales.

Iain Wright: A cross-Government study is assessing the feasibility of harnessing the tidal power of the Severn Estuary. Impacts of a power generation scheme on flooding issues are being addressed in the Strategic Environmental Assessment commissioned by the study. The feasibility study is scheduled to report during 2010. Given this, no planning guidance for authorities in the South West and Wales has been issued concerning the potential impact of any such development in the Severn Estuary.

Severn Barrage

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what responsibilities the Homes and Communities Agency will have for assessing the risk of flooding arising from the construction of a Severn Barrage.

Iain Wright: Homes and Communities Agency would have no role in relation to flood risk assessment for any Severn Barrage. This would be the responsibility of whoever builds it, with the Environment Agency taking a keen interest given its statutory role in relation to planning and flood risk.
	HCA's role with regard to flood risk assessment would be that set out in PPS25: Development and Flood Risk. For any development it planned, it would have to carry out a flood risk assessment. The HCA will develop its own flood risk/flood adaptation policy building on EP's best practice guidance note covering PPS25 and building on EP's work on sustainable urban drainage systems.
	HCA will also seek to develop strong and early relationships with the Environment Agency to ensure that they are involved at both a strategic level and locally where flood risk or water availability is an issue.

South-East Plan

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to whom a hard copy of the South-East Plan consultation document was distributed by her Department during the recent consultation in  (a) Guildford borough,  (b) Waverley borough and  (c) Surrey.

Sadiq Khan: Hard copies were distributed to all south-east MPs and MEPs, participants at the Examination in Public, South East England Regional Assembly members, and local authority heads of planning. Public libraries and planning authority offices received copies for inspection.
	In addition, a further approximately 100 hard copies have been distributed on a request basis across the region.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Action for Sustainable Living: Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much funding  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) Capacitybuilders has given to Action for Sustainable Living in the last 24 months.

Kevin Brennan: Neither the Cabinet Office, the Central Office of Information nor Capacitybuilders have awarded any grants to Action for Sustainable Living in the last 24 months.

Average Earnings: Coastal Areas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the average earnings of  (a) males and  (b) females are in the principal seaside towns in England and Wales.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated November 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the average earnings of (a) males and (b) females are in the principal seaside towns in England and Wales. (234936)
	Average levels of earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), and are provided for all employees on adult rates of pay whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence.
	Estimates of levels of earnings are not available by town but are available by Local Authority. I attach a table showing the median gross weekly earnings for the Local Authority associated with each principal seaside town in England and Wales in 2007.
	The ASHE, carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. It is a sample of employees who are members of pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) schemes.
	
		
			  Median  weekly payGross () F or employee jobs( a)  in Principal Seaside Towns in England and Wales for 2007 
			  
			  Male  Female 
			  Principal seaside towns  Local authority  Male  Female  Full-time  Part- t ime  Full-time  Part- t ime 
			 Bognor Regis Arun *356 **201 *389 x **373 **128 
			 Greater Blackpool Blackpool UA **362 *264 **447 x *322 **134 
			 Greater Bournemouth Bournemouth UA *382 *254 *449 x *343 *145 
			 Porthcawl Bridgend/Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr *479 *264 *488 x *341 **123 
			 Greater Brighton Brighton and Hove UA *403 *319 *456 x *404 **163 
			 Whitstable/Herne Bay Canterbury *393 **272 *433 x *391 **135 
			 Falmouth Carrick **365 **294 *425 x *379 **151 
			 Llandudno/Colwyn Bay/Conway Conwy/Conwy *350 **221 **397 x **344 **93 
			 Rhyl/Prestatyn Denbighshire/Sir Ddinbych *369 **262 *386 x **353 **134 
			 Deal Dover **449 **271 **522 x **371 **117 
			 Sidmouth East Devon *404 **219 *423 x *315 x 
			 Skegness East Lindsey **339 *213 **371 x **302 **131 
			 Bridlington East Riding of Yorkshire UA 470 *212 *493 x *370 *139 
			 Eastbourne Eastbourne **443 **280 **480 x **425 **167 
			 Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth **434 **226 *518 x **331 **135 
			 Hastings/Bexhill Hastings *357 **229 *406 x **357 x 
			 Isle of Wight Isle of Wight UA *421 *205 *474 x *343 *159 
			 Morecambe and Heysham Lancaster *466 x *498 x *362 **138 
			 Ilfracombe North Devon **372 **239 **379 x *311 **143 
			 Weston-super-Mare North Somerset UA *513 *275 *539 x *358 **151 
			 Whitley Bay North Tyneside *391 *260 *408 x *328 *136 
			 St Ives/Penzance Penwith **312 **209 **349 x x x 
			 Swanage Purbeck x x **546 x **340 x 
			 Newquay Restormel *384 **224 *418 x *315 **162 
			 Scarborough/Whitby Scarborough *389 **210 *411 x **286 **140 
			 Burnham-on-Sea Sedgemoor **396 **201 *459 x *344 **136 
			 Southport Sefton *383 *252 *422 109 *399 *139 
			 Folkstone/Hythe Shepway **411 **239 **444 x *292 **117 
			 Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea UA **350 *275 **414 x *396 **142 
			 Exmouth/Dawlish/Teignmouth Teignbridge *373 **241 *383 x **307 **149 
			 Clacton Tendring *348 **256 **376 x *323 x 
			 Thanet Thanet **401 *226 **429 x **359 **154 
			 Barry The Vale of Glamorgan/Bro Morgannwg **455 **275 **482 x **402 **153 
			 Torbay Torbay UA **326 **246 **360 x *365 **127 
			 Lowestoft Waveney *380 **172 390 x **347 **113 
			 Minehead West Somerset x x x  x x 
			 Weymouth Weymouth and Portland **314 x *375 x **316 x 
			 Greater Worthing Worthing *425 **273 *460 x *364 **158 
			 (a) Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence.  Key: The colour coding indicates the quality of each estimate for median gross weekly pay. The quality of an estimate is measured by its coefficient of variation (CV), which is the ratio of the standard error of an estimate to the estimate.  Guide to quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of a figure, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV - for example, for an average of 200 with a CV of 5%, we would expect the population average to be within the range 180 to 220.  Key: CV ≥= 5% * CV ≥ 5% and = 10% ** CV ≥ 10% and =20% X CV ≥ 20%  Notes: 1. Estimates provided are from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE). 2. Figures are provided for median gross weekly earnings for employees on adult rates of pay, whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence.  Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics.

Cardiovascular Diseases

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many and what proportion of all deaths were from  (a) circulation diseases and  (b) cancers in each of the last 15 years.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated November 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many and what proportion of all deaths were from (a) circulation diseases and (b) cancers in each of the last 15 years. (234501)
	The tables attached provide the numbers of deaths and proportion of all deaths, with an underlying cause of (a) circulatory disease (table 1) and (b) cancer (table 2) for the years 1993 to 2007 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Table 1. Number, and proportion of deaths where circulatory disease was the underlying cause of death, in England and Wales, 1993 to 2007( 1, 2) 
			   Deaths  Per cen tage 
			 1993 258,012 45 
			 1994 241,551 44 
			 1995 241,871 43 
			 1998 238,855 42 
			 1997 229,585 41 
			 1998 225,811 41 
			 1999 218,062 39 
			 2000 207,618 39 
			 2001 212,354 40 
			 2002 209,948 39 
			 2003 205,651 38 
			 2004 190,779 37 
			 2005 183,674 36 
			 2006 174,637 35 
			 2007 170,338 34 
			 (1) Cause of death for circulatory disease was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes 390-459 for 1993 to 2000 and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes I00-I99 for 2001 to 2007. The introduction of ICD-10 in 2001 means that the number of deaths from this cause, before 2001 are not completely comparable with later years. (2) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2. Number, and proportion of deaths where cancer was the underlying cause England and Wales, 1993 to 2007( 1, 2) 
			   Deaths  Per cen tage 
			 1993 140,595 24 
			 1994 139,455 25 
			 1995 138,671 25 
			 1996 138,092 25 
			 1997 135,771 24 
			 1998 136,289 25 
			 1999 133,749 24 
			 2008 132,421 25 
			 2001 136,234 26 
			 2002 137,051 26 
			 2003 136,030 25 
			 2004 134,873 26 
			 2005 134,894 26 
			 2008 135,635 27 
			 2007 136,804 27 
			 (1) Cause of death for cancer was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes 140-208 for 1993 to 2000 and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes C00-C97 for 2001 to 2007. The introduction of ICD-10 in 2001 means that the number of deaths from this cause, before 2001 are not completely comparable with later years. (2) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Civil Servants: Manpower

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many full-time equivalent civil servants each Government department and executive agency employed in City of York constituency in each year since 1996-97.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated November 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many full-time equivalent civil servants each government department and executive agency employed in City of York constituency in each year since 1996-97. (237054)
	Information on employment in the civil service is not available for parliamentary constituencies. I refer to you the answer given on 5 November (Official Report, volume 482, column 493W) for estimates for the City of York area.

Death: Cancer

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the mortality rate from cancer was in Crosby constituency in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2008 to date.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated November 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the mortality rate from cancer was in Crosby constituency in (a) 1997 and (b) 2008. (236704)
	Mortality rates for parliamentary constituencies are available only for the years 2001 to 2006. The age-standardised mortality rate where cancer was the underlying cause of death in Crosby parliamentary constituency was 177 per 100,000 population in 2001, and 158 per 100,000 population in 2006.(1, 2, 3, 4)
	(1 )Age-standardised mortality rates per 100,000 population, standardised to the European Standard Population. Age-standardised rates are used to allow comparison between populations which may contain different proportions of people of different ages.
	(2 )Cause of death for cancer was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes C00-C97.
	(3 )Based on boundaries as of 2008.
	(4 )Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Death: Carbon Monoxide

Paul Burstow: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning there were of people aged  (a) 60 to 64,  (b) 65 to 74 and  (c) 75 years and over since 1997.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated November 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning there were of people aged (a) 60-64, (b) 65-74 and (c) 75 years and over since 1997. (236937)
	The attached table provides the number of deaths where the toxic effect of carbon monoxide was the cause of death for people aged (a) 60-64, (b) 65-74 and (c) 75 years and over, in England and Wales, from 1997 to 2007 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Table 1. Number of deaths with a cause of carbon monoxide poisoning( 1) , by age group, persons aged 60 and over, England and Wales, 1997 to 2007( 2, 3) 
			  Deaths 
			   Age group 
			   60-64  65-74  75+ 
			 1997 31 55 75 
			 1998 25 51 59 
			 1999 26 45 83 
			 2000 18 36 60 
			 2001 20 29 58 
			 2002 18 19 39 
			 2003 18 24 40 
			 2004 16 24 38 
			 2005 15 17 37 
			 2006 8 20 23 
			 2007 19 22 31 
			 (1 )Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) code 986 for the years 1997 to 2000 and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code T58 for the years 2001 to 2007. (2 )Figures include deaths of non-residents. (3 )Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Death: Drugs

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many deaths attributed to drugs overdoses were recorded in  (a) Doncaster,  (b) Barnsley and  (c) South Yorkshire in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated November 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths attributed to drugs overdoses were recorded in (a) Doncaster, (b) Barnsley and (c) South Yorkshire in each of the last five years. (236301)
	The table attached provides the numbers of deaths for which the underlying cause was (i) drug poisoning and (ii) drug poisoning where any drug controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 was mentioned on the death certificate, for (a) Doncaster metropolitan district, (b) Barnsley metropolitan district and (c) South Yorkshire county, from 2003 to 2007 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Table 1. Number of de aths from drug poisoning and dru g misuse, Doncaster metropolitan district, Barnsley metropolitan district and South Yorkshire county, 2003 to 2007( 1,2,3) 
			  Deaths 
			   Drug poisoning  Drug misuse 
			   Doncaster  Barnsley  South Yorkshire  Doncaster  Barnsley  South Yorkshire 
			 2003 15 20 87 12 14 56 
			 2004 13 13 65 8 9 40 
			 2005 11 23 69 10 14 43 
			 2006 17 16 83 11 12 58 
			 2007 16 16 70 13 11 48 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). Figures for Drug poisoning are where the underlying cause of death was due to drug poisoning (ICD-10 codes are shown in the following table). Figures for Drug misuse include all drug poisoning deaths where a drug controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 was mentioned on the death certificate. (2 )Based on boundaries as of 2008. (3 )Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. 
		
	
	
		
			  ICD-10  Description 
			 F11-F16, F18-F19 Mental and behavioural disorders due to drug use (excluding alcohol and tobacco) 
			 X40-X44 Accidental poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances 
			 X60-X64 Intentional self-poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances 
			 X85 Assault by drugs, medicaments and biological substances 
			 Y10-Y14 Poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances, undetermined intent

Death: Heart Diseases

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many deaths in Crosby constituency resulted from heart disease in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2008 to date.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated November 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths in Crosby constituency resulted from heart disease in (a) 1997 and (b) 2008 to date.(236703)
	There were (a) 192 deaths in Crosby parliamentary constituency(1) where ischaemic heart disease was the underlying cause of death(2) in 1997, and (b) 121 deaths in 2007(3) which is the latest year available.
	(1 )Based on boundaries as of 2008.
	(2 )Cause of death for ischaemic heart disease was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes 410-414 for 1997 and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes 120-125 for 2007. The introduction of ICD-10 in 2001 means that the number of deaths from this cause before 2001 are not completely comparable with later years.
	(3 )Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Death: Methadone

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many deaths attributed to methadone addiction were recorded in  (a) Doncaster,  (b) Barnsley and  (c) South Yorkshire in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated November 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths attributed to methadone addiction were recorded in (a) Doncaster, (b) Barnsley and (c) South Yorkshire in each of the last five years. (236239)
	The attached table provides the numbers of deaths for which the underlying cause was drug poisoning and methadone was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate in South Yorkshire county from 2003 to 2007 (the latest year available). The information collected at death registration does not specify whether the deceased was addicted to the substances mentioned as contributing to the death.
	Figures cannot be provided for the metropolitan districts of Doncaster and Barnsley as these data are judged to be too detailed to preserve anonymity in death statistics.
	
		
			  Table 1. Number of deaths attributed to drug poisoning( 1)  where methadone was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, South Yorkshire county, 2003 to 2007( 2) 
			   Deaths 
			 2003 6 
			 2004 10 
			 2005 7 
			 2006 7 
			 2007 12 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). Deaths were included where the underlying cause was due to drug poisoning (shown in the following table) and where methadone was mentioned on the death certificate. (2) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. 
		
	
	
		
			  ICD-10  Description 
			 F11-F16, F18-F19 Mental and behavioural disorders due to drug use (excluding alcohol and tobacco) 
			 X40-X44 Accidental poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances 
			 X60-X64 Intentional self-poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances 
			 X85 Assault by drugs, medicaments and biological substances 
			 Y10-Y14 Poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances, undetermined intent

Death: Weather

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many excess deaths from cold weather there were in  (a) North Yorkshire and  (b) Vale of York constituency in each year since 1997.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, November 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many excess deaths from cold weather there were in  (a) North Yorkshire and  (b) Vale of York constituency in each year since 1997. (237110)
	Estimates of excess winter deaths are based on the difference between the number of deaths during the four winter months (December to March) and the average number of deaths during the preceding four months (August to November) and the following four months (April to July). It is not possible to say whether these deaths were related to cold weather. The table attached provides the number of excess winter deaths in  (a) North Yorkshire county, and  (b) Vale of York parliamentary constituency, 1997/98 to 2005/06 (the latest available).
	
		
			  Table 1: Excess winter deaths( 1, 2) , North Yorkshire county and Vale of York parliamentary constituency( 3) ,1997-98 to 2005-06 
			   Deaths (persons) 
			  Winter  North Yorkshire  Vale of York 
			 1997-98 350 90 
			 1998-99 500 100 
			 1999-00 580 80 
			 2000-01 330 60 
			 2001-02 330 30 
			 2002-03 200 40 
			 2003-04 350 40 
			 2004-05 280 30 
			 2005-06 300 10 
			 (1) The estimated number of excess winter deaths is the difference between the number of deaths during the four winter months (December to March) and the average number of deaths during the preceding four months (August to November) and the following four months (April to July). Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 to reflect the fact that they are estimates. (2) Data are based on deaths occurring in each month. (3) Based on boundaries as of 2008.

Dorneywood

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 6 November 2008,  Official Report, column 736W, on Dorneywood, what the dates were of each of the official engagements which involved a stay at Dorneywood by the  (a) Leader of the House of Lords and  (b) House of Commons Chief Whip.

Kevin Brennan: The then Leader of the House of Lords stayed overnight at Dorneywood on 10 January 2008.

Dorneywood

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 6 November 2008,  Official Report, column 736W, on Dorneywood, what the purpose was of each of the official engagements.

Kevin Brennan: The official engagements involved meetings with ministerial colleagues and/or officials.

Employment: Coastal Areas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people and what proportion of the working age population were in employment in each of the principal seaside towns in England and Wales in each year since 1997.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated November 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people and what proportion of the working age population were in employment in each of the principal seaside towns in England and Wales in each year since 1997. (234934)
	The Office for National Statistics compiles employment statistics for local areas using the Annual Population Survey (APS) and Annual Labour Force Survey (LFS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
	Estimates of employment are not available for the principal seaside towns in England and Wales. Instead we have provided estimates relating to the Local Authorities associated with each of these towns.
	Table 1 provides the number of working age persons employed in the relevant local authorities from the LFS for the twelve month periods ending February 1998 to February 2004, and from the APS for the twelve month periods ending March 2005 to March 2008. A copy of the table has been placed in the library of the House.
	These figures along with a wide range of other labour market data for parliamentary constituencies and local authorities are also published on the Office for National Statistics' Nomis website:
	www.nomisweb.co.uk.

Foreign Workers: Coastal Areas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many and what percentage of migrant workers there are in the workforce in each of the principal seaside towns in England and Wales.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated November 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many and what percentage of migrant workers there are in the workforce in each of the principal seaside town in England and Wales. (234951)
	The Office for National Statistics compiles employment statistics for local areas using the Annual Population Survey (APS) and Annual Labour Force Survey (LPS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
	Estimates of employment are not available for the principal seaside towns in England and Wales. Instead we have provided estimates relating to the Local Authorities associated with each of these towns.
	The Office for National Statistics compiles statistics on migrant workers for local areas from the Annual Population survey (APS). The National Statistics method for estimating the number of migrant workers employed in the UK is based on the number of people at a given time who were born outside the UK, and in employment. This question has been answered on this basis. It means, for example, that some people who are UK nationals will be included in the total. Those in employment are defined following International Labour Organisation definitions.
	Table 1 attached, provides the number of migrant workers employed in the relevant local authorities from the APS for the twelve month period ending December 2007.
	These figures along with a wide range of other labour market data for parliamentary constituencies and local authorities are also published on the Office for National Statistics' Nomis website:
	www.nomisweb.co.uk.
	
		
			  Table 1: Non-UK born persons( 1)  in employment in unitary authorities and as a percentage of all persons in employment, January to December 2007 
			  Principal seaside town  Local authority  Level (Thousand)   Percentage 
			 Bognor Regis Arun 6 **** 10 
			 Greater Blackpool Blackpool 3 *** 6 
			 Greater Bournemouth Bournemouth 9 *** 13 
			 Porthcawl Bridgend 2 **** 4 
			 Greater Brighton Brighton and Hove 19 *** 15 
			 Whitstable/Herne Bay Canterbury 5 *** 7 
			 Falmouth Carrick 3 *** 8 
			 Llandudno/Colwyn Bay/Conwy Conwy 2 **** 4 
			 Rhyl/Prestatyn Denbighshire 1 **** 3 
			 Deal Dover 2 **** 4 
			 Sidmouth East Devon 4 **** 7 
			 Skegness East Lindsey 2 **** 3 
			 Bridlington East Riding of Yorkshire 4 **** 3 
			 Eastbourne Eastbourne 4 **** 9 
			 Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth 2 **** 6 
			 Hastings/Bexhill Hastings 3 **** 8 
			 Isle of Wight Isle of Wight 3 *** 5 
			 Morecambe and Heysham Lancaster 2 **** 3 
			 Ilfracombe North Devon n/a  n/a 
			 Weston-super-Mare North Somerset 6 *** 6 
			 Whitley Bay North Tyneside 4 **** 4 
			 St. Ives Penwith 2 **** 7 
			 Swanage Purbeck 1 **** 6 
			 Newquay Restormel n/a  n/a 
			 Scarborough Scarborough 3 **** 7 
			 Burnham-on-Sea Sedgemoor n/a  n/a 
			 Southport Sefton 4 **** 3 
			 Folkstone/Hythe Shepway 4 **** 9 
			 Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea 6 *** 8 
			 Exmouth Teignbridge 2 **** 4 
			 Clacton Tendring 5 **** 10 
			 Thanet Thanet 4 **** 9 
			 Torbay Torbay 3 *** 6 
			 Barry The Vale of Glamorgan 3 *** 6 
			 Lowestoft Waveney 2 *** 5 
			 Minehead West Somerset n/a  n/a 
			 Weymouth Weymouth and Portland 1 **** 4 
			 Greater Worthing Worthing 4 **** 9 
			 n/a = Not available. (1) Does not include respondents who did not answer the question on country of birth. Estimates are subject to sampling variability.  It should also be noted that the country of birth question in the APS gives an undercount because: it excludes certain people who have been resident in the UK for less than six months. it excludes students in halls who do not have a UK resident parent. it excludes people in most other types of communal establishments (e.g. hotels, boarding houses, hostels, mobile home sites, etc). it is grossed to population estimates which exclude migrants staying for less than 12 months. microdata are grossed to population estimates consistent with those published in spring 2003 which are significantly lower than the latest population estimates.  Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV - for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5 per cent. we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220 KEY Coefficient of Variation (CV) ( %) Statistical Robustness * 0 = CV  5 Estimates are considered precise. ** 5 = CV  10 Estimates are considered reasonably precise. *** 10 = CV  20 Estimates are considered acceptable. **** CV = 20 Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes  Source: Annual Population Survey

Greater Manchester

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much funding  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) Capacitybuilders has given to the Manchester-based organisations (i) Transport Pool and (ii) the Community Network for Manchester in the last 24 months.

Kevin Brennan: Neither the Cabinet Office, the Central Office of Information nor Capacitybuilders have awarded any grants to Transport Pool or the Community Network for Manchester in the last 24 months.

Immigration

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what, on the basis of the most recent population projections, is the level of immigration at which the population of the UK would remain below 70 million on unchanged assumptions about birth rates and mortality.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated November 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question, regarding what, on the basis of the most recent population projections, is the level of immigration at which the population of the UK would remain below 70 million on unchanged assumptions about birth rates and mortality. (236159)
	The information requested cannot be calculated directly from the latest national population projections published by the Office for National Statistics in October 2007. These projections included a principal (or central) projection, and a range of variant projections. The variant projections included a low migration variant and a zero migration (natural change only) variant.
	In the principal projection, which assumes a long-term net inward flow of +190,000 persons a year, the population of the UK is projected to reach 70 million in 2028. In the low migration variant, which assumes a long-term net inward flow of +130,000 persons a year, the population of the UK is projected to reach 70 million in 2035. In the zero migration variant, which shows the effect of the principal assumptions of fertility and mortality in the absence of migration (or where migration inflows and outflows are equal at every age), the population of the UK is projected to reach almost 64 million in the year 2032 and then start to decline.
	Assumptions for national population projections are conventionally expressed in terms of net migration (immigration less emigration) rather than for the gross flows separately. However, nominal immigration and emigration totals are used in the projection process mainly to enable plausible age distributions to be calculated for the assumed net migration totals.
	It is apparent from the 2006-based projections that a level of annual net inward migration, somewhere between zero and +130,000, could be assumed at which the population would remain below 70 million. However, there are a range of combinations of immigration and emigration levels which could achieve this outcome. For example, a lower level of immigration could be used than in the 2006-based projections but with no change to emigration.
	Alternatively, both immigration and emigration could be reduced. In practice, it is likely that lower levels of immigration than those experienced in recent years would, in time, lead to a reduction in the level of emigration as well.

Non-profit Making Associations

Margaret Moran: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what further steps he plans to take to ensure that social enterprises compete for Government contracts on the same basis as other bidders.

Kevin Brennan: The Glover review is examining what further steps may be needed to remove barriers for small and medium sized enterprises and social enterprises in competing for public sector contracts. The review will be published shortly.

Plain English

David Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many documents produced by his Department were submitted to the Plain English Campaign for approval for Crystal Mark status in each year since 2005; and how many documents achieved such status in each year.

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many documents produced by the Cabinet Office were submitted to the Plain English Campaign for approval for Crystal Mark status in each year since 2005; and how many documents achieved such status in each year.

Tom Watson: The information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Population

James Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the most recent forecast is from the Office for National Statistics of the proportion of population growth  (a) directly attributable and  (b) indirectly attributable to migration in each of its projections of population size.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 10 November 2008
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated November 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question asking what the most recent forecast is of the proportion of population growth (a) directly attributable and (b) indirectly attributable to migration in each of its projections of population size (234137).
	The most recent national population projections, based on mid-2006 population estimates, were published by the Office for National Statistics on 23 October 2007. The principal projection was produced using the main assumptions of future levels of fertility, mortality and migration. However, to give users of the projections an indication of the effect of higher or lower assumptions, a number of variant population projections were also produced.
	An understanding of the overall effect of migration on population growth can be obtained by comparing the results of the principal and high and low migration variant projections with those of the 'natural change' (or zero migration) variant projection. Table A below gives projected components of population change for the UK in the period to 2031 in the principal projection, the high and low migration variants and the natural change variant projection.
	Table B shows how the projected population growth to 2031 is broken down between the assumed level of net migration and projected natural change. Natural change is then further broken down into that projected in the absence of migration and the additional natural change from the assumed level of net migration. So, taking the principal projection for example, some 47 per cent of population growth is therefore directly attributable to the assumed number of net migrants. The remaining 53 per cent is attributable to projected natural increase (of which 31 per cent would occur in the absence of net migration and 23 per cent arises from the effect of net migration on natural change). In total, therefore, some 69 per cent of population growth in the period to 2031 in the principal projection is attributable, directly or indirectly, to future net migration.
	Projected population figures are unchanged since my previous response to PQ 169089 (3 December 2007) concerning the same subject.
	
		
			  Table A: Projected popula tion change, United Kingdom 2006 -31 
			  T housand 
			   High migration variant  Principal projection  Low migration variant  Zero migration variant 
			 Population at mid-2006 60,587 60,587 60,587 60,587 
			  
			  Population change (2006-31) 
			 Births 20,305 19,847 19,390 17,458 
			 Deaths 14,291 14,247 14,202 14,244 
			  
			 Natural change 6,014 5,601 5,188 3,214 
			 Net migration 6,382 4,912 3,442 0 
			  
			 Total change 12,396 10,513 8,630 3,214 
			  
			 Population at mid-2031 72,983 71,100 69,217 63,801 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Projected population growth by  component, United Kingdom, 2006 -31 
			   High migration variant  Principal projection  Low migration variant 
			 Total population increase between 2006 and 2031 (Thousand) 12,396 10,513 8,630 
			  Resulting from:
			 Assumed net migration 6,382 4,912 3,442 
			 Natural change assuming no migration 3,214 3,214 3,214 
			 Additional natural change from assumed level of net migration 2,800 2,387 1,974 
			 
			  Percentage of pop ulation  growth 2006-31 resulting from:
			 Assumed net migration 51 47 40 
			 Natural change assuming no migration 26 31 37 
			 Additional natural change from assumed level of net migration 23 23 23 
			  Source: Migration and Population. Growth: http://www.gad.gov.uk/Demography_Data/Population/2006/methodology/mignote.asp

Voluntary Work

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) formal and  (b) informal volunteers in England and Wales in each of the last 15 years.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 13 November 2008
	The number of formal and informal volunteers are measured each year by the Citizenship Survey, which began in 2001. There are no comparable figures available before this date. Figures since 2001 in England and Wales are as follows:
	
		
			  England 
			   At least once a month  At least once a year 
			   2001  2003  2005  2007-08  2001  2003  2005  2007-08 
			  Percentage who had engaged in each activity 
			 Informal volunteering 34 37 37 35 67 63 68 64 
			 Formal volunteering 27 28 29 27 39 42 44 43 
			 All respondents 9,430 8,922 9,195 8,804 9,430 8,922 9,195 8,804 
			  
			  Equivalent number of people, estimate (Million) 
			 Informal volunteering 13.5 14.9 14.9 14.4 26.5 25.1 27.4 26.4 
			 Formal volunteering 10.5 11.1 11.6 11.1 15.3 17 17.9 17.7 
			 Population base(1) 39.5 40 40.3 41.1 39.5 40 40.3 41.1 
			 (1) 2007-08 population figures based on Office for National Statistics 2006 mid-year estimates. 
		
	
	
		
			  Wales: Formal and informal volunteering (regular and last year) 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007-08 
			   Regular volunteering (at least once a month)  Volunteering at least once in the last year 
			   2001  2003  2005  2007-08  2001  2003  2005  2007-08 
			  Percentage who had engaged in each activity 
			 Formal volunteering 28 25 31 27 41 40 47 37 
			 Informal volunteering 31 32 42 30 64 54 69 54 
			 All respondents 585 564 496 532 585 564 496 532 
			  
			  Equivalent number of people (Estimate) 
			 Formal volunteering 651,698 577,911 741,122 651,523 959,051 931,317 1,125,405 882,467 
			 Informal volunteering 726,281 753,002 998,529 727,875 1,477,986 1,274,412 1,631,666 1,295,486 
			 Population base(1) 2,316,500 2,341,400 2,380,000 2,404,700 2,316,500 2,341,400 2,380,000 2,404,700 
			 (1) 2007-08 population figures based on ONS 2006 mid-year estimates.  Notes: 1. 2005 population figures based on ONS 2004 mid-year population estimates. 2. 2003 population figures based on ONS 2002 mid-year population estimates. 3. 2001 population figures based on ONS 2001 mid-year population estimates.  Source: Citizenship Survey, Communities and Local Government

Young People

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many 16 to 24 year olds were living in  (a) North Yorkshire,  (b) London and  (c) England in each year since 1997.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated November 2008 :
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question asking how many 16 to 24 year olds were living in  (a) North Yorkshire,  (b) London and  (c) England in each year since 1997. (237114)
	The table below shows the estimated resident population of persons aged 16 to 24 for the areas requested for mid-1997 to mid-2007, the latest year for which estimates arc available.
	
		
			  Mid-year population estimates of persons aged 16 to 24, 1997-2007 
			  Thousand 
			   North Yorkshire  London  England 
			 1997 51 854 5,310 
			 1998 51 862 5,273 
			 1999 50 868 5,280 
			 2000 50 865 5,298 
			 2001 52 878 5,406 
			 2002 54 876 5,517 
			 2003 56 868 5,648 
			 2004 58 879 5,801 
			 2005 60 887 5,927 
			 2006 62 895 6,029 
			 2007 63 905 6,155

DEFENCE

Adjutant Generals Corps

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria govern the selection of Adjutant General Administrative Instruction documents to be made available on the Ministry of Defence website.

Kevan Jones: Army General and Administrative Instructions (AGAIs) are internal documents and are not routinely published on the Ministry of Defence website. A decision on publishing a particular AGAI to the MOD website would be based on whether there is any information contained within it which is sensitive in nature, and its perceived usefulness to those outside the Army community.

Afghanistan: Military Aid

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many tonnes of charity clothing have been transported by the Royal Air Force using vacant cargo space on regular sorties to and from Afghanistan.

Kevan Jones: We have no record of authorising the transport of charity clothing to Afghanistan on RAF flights.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of UK armed forces are deployed in  (a) Kabul and  (b) Helmand province.

John Hutton: The authorised level for UK forces in Afghanistan is around 8,000, although the actual number of service personnel deployed in theatre can and does vary. Of these, some 500 are based in Kabul, some 2,100 are based at Kandahar airfield and some 5,400 are based in Helmand province.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total cost has been of the UK's involvement in Afghanistan in each of the last five financial years.

John Hutton: MOD identifies the costs of Operations in terms of the net additional costs it has incurred, which excludes the costs that the Department would have incurred regardless of the operation taking place, such as wages and salaries. Reduced costs on activities that have not occurred because of the operationtraining exercises for example are also taken into account in arriving at the net figures.
	The annual audited cost of operations in Afghanistan for the last five years are set out in the following table:
	
		
			   million 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  Total 
			 Operations in Afghanistan resource costs 36 58 148 560 1,071 1,873 
			 Expenditure on capital equipment 10 9 51 178 433 681 
			 Total 46 67 199 738 1,504 2,554

Armed Forces

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many goodwill parcels from the public intended for deployed troops were  (a) received by his Department and  (b) delivered to troops on service in each year since 2003; and how those not delivered were treated.

Kevan Jones: Statistics relating to parcels delivered by the British Forces Post Office (BFPO) to service personnel deployed overseas since 2003 do not differentiate between mail from families and friends and unsolicited mail from the general public. Provided it did not contain items that were prohibited, unsolicited mail was delivered to deployed personnel.

Armed Forces: Compensation

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been made of the operation of the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme in comparison with  (a) compensation arrangements for police officers and  (b) other public sector compensation schemes as part of the review of public service injury benefits; and if he will make a statement.

Kevan Jones: In conducting the recent review of armed forces compensation scheme tariff levels, we considered a number of other public sector compensation schemes including the police. Comparison is not straightforward as the underlying principles of the schemes are so dissimilar but the armed forces compensation scheme compared favourably with them. Reflecting the special circumstances of service in today's armed forces, the Service Personnel Command Paper announced the Government's intention to double the maximum lump sum award to 570,000. This is in addition to a guaranteed tax-free inflation proof income for life. Following a period of consultation, we are laying this week the necessary legislation to increase the lump sum awards.

Armed Forces: Death

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the decision was made that the Directorate of Army Personnel Strategy Science should attend the scene of all sudden deaths on the military estate; how many incident sites the Directorate has attended in each year since that decision; and in what form and to what body the Directorate reports its findings.

Kevan Jones: Directorate of Army Personnel Strategy (DAPS) Science occupational psychologists do not routinely attend the sites of sudden deaths and no decision has been made that they should do so.
	DAPS Science does, however, send occupational psychologists to the sites of Army air accidents (with the exception of accidents occurring in conflict situations) in order to conduct a human factors investigation. This is in compliance with Joint Service Publication (JSP) 551 (Military Flight Safety Regulations) Volume 1 (Flight Safety). DAPS also has a responsibility to provide occupational psychology support to boards of inquiry into air accidents, again in compliance with JSP 551.

Armed Forces: Families

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library the latest service families continuous attitude survey.

Kevan Jones: Copies of the most recent Service Families Continuous Attitude Surveys will be placed in the Library of the House shortly. I shall write to the hon. Member when this has been done.

Armed Forces: Officers

Christopher Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of levels of officer retention in the armed forces over the last 10 years.

Bob Ainsworth: Taking the armed forces as a whole, retention rates for officers are relatively stable and we have seen no sudden outflow of personnel in the last 10 years. There is real concern, however, that in some important areas exit rates are too high and appear to be increasing, if only slightly, year on year. These areas are continuously monitored closely and focused action taken to continue to improve recruitment and retention. The recent Command Paper set out over 40 measures aimed at addressing many of the disadvantages of service life while the Government's response to the Report of Inquiry into National Recognition of our Armed Forces has now been presented to Parliament detailing how we have accepted the majority of recommendations. In addition, a wide range of measures are in place to improve retention including: career management, improvement to conditions of service and work/life balance, commitment bonuses and targeted financial retention initiatives.
	Overall officer outflow and voluntary outflow rates from the armed forces are published by the Defence Analytical Services and Advice (DASA) organisation and can be found at their website:
	www.dasa.mod.uk.

Armed Forces: Suicide

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what items are listed in the psychological checklist drawn up by the Army Suicide Prevention Group following the recommendation of the Walton report; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the list.

Kevan Jones: I will place a copy of the Psychological Autopsy Checklist in the Library of the House.

Armed Forces: Suicide

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what principal recommendations were made as a result of the qualitative research conducted by the Directorate of Army Personnel Strategy in 1999 at the request of the Army Suicide Prevention Group to develop organisational responses to suicides in the Army; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the report.

Kevan Jones: The Army's Suicide Vulnerability Risk Management (SVRM) Policy sets out the current framework for addressing suicide in the Army. It is designed to assist the chain of command in identifying potential suicide victims and to provide a structure for subsequent support. The SVRM Policy was based on research conducted over a number of years, including 1999, although none from that year was published separately. I will place a copy of the SVRM Policy in the Library of the House.

Armed Forces: Suicide

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what teaching materials are available in each service on awareness and prevention of suicide and self-harm; and what steps he plans to take to encourage service personnel to seek help for trauma and other forms of psychological distress.

Kevan Jones: MOD's through-life approach to stress management training focuses on raising awareness and encouraging early support as well as addressing barriers to care (i.e. stigma). Each of the single services has procedures aimed at making all ranks aware of indicators and warnings associated with possible self-harm, and of the appropriate steps to take.
	The general issue of stigma around personnel with mental health problems is something that the MOD has recently done much to address. As part of this the Royal Marines pioneered a peer-group risk assessment procedure to improve detection and signposting of problems amongst those exposed to psychologically traumatic events, in order that their peers and leaders can provide them with appropriate support or, where it is required, to refer them for specialist help. The process, known as trauma risk management (TRiM) has now been formally accepted and implemented by the Royal Marines, Royal Navy and the Army, and is being trialled in selected RAF units.

Armed Forces: Telephone Services

Christopher Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the weekly allocation of free telephone calls for armed forces' personnel serving overseas.

Bob Ainsworth: The 30 minutes of free telephone calls each week form part of a comprehensive deployment welfare package, which also includes free mail for packages of up to 2 kg from family and friends and internet access. Personnel will also receive an additional 30 minutes free call time over the Christmas period. Recent attitude surveys conducted among service personnel indicate that they are broadly content with the deployment welfare package although it is kept under constant review. The most recent enhancement to the package was the doubling of the families' welfare grant, effective from 1 November.

Armed Forces: Training

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the topic headings are for course work on  (a) the law of armed conflict and  (b) the requirements of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights as taught during Phase (i) 1 and (ii) 2 training for service personnel; what course time is allocated to this aspect of training; how trainee achievement is measured; and what minimum standard is required in order for an individual to complete that phase of training.

Bob Ainsworth: I will write to my hon. Friend.

Defence Estates: Bye Laws

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer of 6 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 671-72W, on Military Lands Act byelaws, what the 96 sites, including the 13 designated under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005, are whose byelaws are, or will be, under review.

Kevan Jones: All of the sites to be reviewed, including those that we still need to start the review process are listed on the Defence Estate website at:
	http://www.defence-estates.mod.uk/byelaws/Internet/Intro.php
	and are in the process of being updated.
	The designated Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 sites are listed as follows:
	AWE Aldermaston
	AWE Burghfield
	RAF Fylingdales
	Faslane (HMNB Clyde)
	Coulport
	RAF Mildenhall
	PJHQ Northwood
	RAF Brize Norton
	SMC Marchwood
	RAF Croughton
	RAF Fairford
	RAF Welford
	RAF Feltwell
	RAF Lakenheath
	RAF Menwith Hill
	Plymouth (and Devonport)

Departmental Consultants

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department paid to consultants and external assistants in the last period for which figures are available.

Kevan Jones: Summaries for the years 1995-96 to 2007-08 of MOD expenditure on external assistance, of which consultancy is a part, are available in the Library of the House.

Departmental Lighting

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many energy saving light bulbs his Department has used in each year since 1997.

Kevan Jones: Usage figures for energy saving light bulbs are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Location

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration he has given to relocating his Department's sites to areas of high unemployment.

Kevan Jones: Under the Government's Lyons relocation programme, the MOD plans to relocate some 5,000 civil service and military posts out of London and the south east by March 2010. This is against the target of 3,900 that was agreed and published as part of the 2004 spending review. These moves, and other collocations, are coherent with our strategy to have an estate of the right size to meet the military and business need, concentrated on larger sites and releasing resources to the front line.

Departmental Written Questions

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many questions for written answer were tabled to his Department in Session  (a) 2002-03,  (b) 2003-04,  (c) 2004-05,  (d) 2005-06,  (e) 2006-07 and  (f) 2007-08 to date; and how many were (i) answered substantively and (ii) not answered on grounds of disproportionate cost.

Kevan Jones: The information requested is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Parliamentary session  Written questions received( 1)  Answered substantively  Disproportionate cost answer 
			 2002-03 4,622 4,394 228 
			 2003-04 3,745 3,480 265 
			 2004-05 1,714 1,645 69 
			 2005-06 4,736 4,453 283 
			 2006-07 3,663 3,414 249 
			 2007-08 4,291 3,765 526 
			 Total 22,771 21,151 1,620 
			 (1) Including named day questions 
		
	
	Data are not recorded separately that identify where a disproportionate cost answer was given wholly or as part of the answer. The figures for disproportionate cost answers therefore include those which were partially answered.

Ex-servicemen: Anniversaries

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what provision his Department is planning to make to assist veterans in returning to Normandy for the 65th anniversary of the Landings in 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Kevan Jones: The long standing Ministry of Defence policy on official commemorations is that only 25th, 50th, 60th and 100th anniversaries of events of major importance receive MOD sponsorship at public expense. Significant funding was made available to mark the 60th anniversary of the Normandy landings in 2004 at which the Normandy Veterans Association (NVA) formally announced, through HM the Queen, that it would be their final parade.
	I recognise the understandable desire of Normandy veterans to return to the beach heads each year. However, the Ministry of Defence regularly receives requests from various different veterans' organisations seeking financial or other support for pilgrimages and events to commemorate the campaigns in which they took part. The vast majority are similarly worthy and could make an equally compelling case as the Normandy veterans, but it would be inappropriate to provide official support for one and not the others. This long standing policy of successive Governments was established after very careful consideration and its consistent application over the years has ensured a fairness and equality of treatment for everyone concerned.
	Consequently, there are no plans for the Department to assist veterans returning to Normandy for the 65th anniversary of the landings in 2009.

Ex-servicemen: Civil Servants

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many former members of the  (a) Army,  (b) Royal Air Force and  (c) Royal Navy now work in civilian roles in his Department's (i) Main Building Whitehall and (ii) other locations.

Kevan Jones: Data on the number of former members of the Army, Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy who now work in civilian roles in Main Building and other locations are not held centrally. To provide this information would require a search through individuals' personal records. This could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many surveillance cameras have been deployed by HM armed forces in Iraq since the beginning of 2008.

John Hutton: UK forces employ a range of surveillance devices in support of operations in Iraq, including those attached to land and air vehicles, cameras employed by soldiers and also static cameras. Data on the precise number of cameras deployed to Iraq since 2008 are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Business

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what helplines and websites his Department and its predecessors have funded to support businesses since 1997; and what the cost was to the public purse of operating them in each year since 1997.

Patrick McFadden: This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Christmas

Mark Prisk: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many Christmas functions  (a) he,  (b) officials from his Department and  (c) officials from its executive agencies (i) hosted and (ii) attended in 2007-08; what the cost to the public purse was; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: My right hon. Friend, the then Secretary of State, did not host or attend any official Christmas functions in 2007-08.
	The Department does not hold the information that the hon. Gentleman requests regarding officials from this Department and it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	I have approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service and Companies House agencies and they will respond to the hon. Gentleman directly.
	 Letter from Stephen Speed, 10 November 2008:
	The Minister of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has asked me to reply to your question how many Christmas functions  (a) he,  (b) officials from his Department and  (c) officials from its executive agencies (i) host and (ii) attend in 2007-08; what the cost to the public purse was.
	The Insolvency Service Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform did not host any Christmas functions in 2007-08. There was no cost to the public purse of The Agency or any of its Officials attending functions in 2007-08.
	 Letter from Gareth Jones, 10 November 2008:
	I am responding on behalf of Companies House to your recently tabled Parliamentary Question to the Minister of State for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
	Companies House held a staff party and provided Christmas lunches for staff in 2007-8 at a total cost of 27,069. The number of Christmas functions attended by staff is not known but they would be at no cost to the public purse.

Departmental Databases

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend, East of 9 October 2008,  Official Report, column 711W, on departmental databases, in what way the MOSAIC data was used to segment audiences during the campaign.

Patrick McFadden: The National Minimum Wage publicity campaign used MOSAIC data to help map concentrations of low paid workers. This mapping was instrumental in enabling the Department to run a regionally based campaign that reached its target audiences in a cost efficient and effective way.

Departmental Information Officers

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much was spent on salaries for press and communications officers in  (a) his Department,  (b) its non-departmental public bodies and  (c) its agencies in each of the last three years.

Patrick McFadden: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  Salary cost for Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Press Office 
			   000 
			 2005-06 777 
			 2006-07 1,023 
			 2007-08 1,095 
		
	
	
		
			  Salary cost for UK Trade and Investment Press Office 
			   000 
			 2005-06 143 
			 2006-07 136 
			 2007-08 197 
		
	
	The figures refer to total pay cost of staff in post, comprising salary, overtime, NI and superannuation.
	I have asked the chief executive officers of our two agencies to respond directly to the hon. Member.
	 Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 18 November 2008:
	The Minister of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, has asked me to reply to your question on how much was spent on salaries for press and communications officers in its departments and agencies.
	The Insolvency Service is an executive agency of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. The Service spent the following on salaries in the last three financial years:
	
		
			
			 2005-06 105,128 
			 2006-07 120,505 
			 2007-08 109,110 
		
	
	 Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 18 November 2008:
	I am responding on behalf of Companies House to your recently tabled Parliamentary Question to the Minister of State for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
	The salary cost for the press and communication officers, in the last three years is as follows:
	
		
			   Salary () 
			 2007-08 49,210 
			 2006-07 48,716 
			 2005-06 46,986

Departmental Land

Sarah Teather: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what plans he has for each of the sites owned by his Department and registered on the Register of Surplus Public Sector Land; what construction projects are planned for each site; and when he expects each site to be returned to use.

Patrick McFadden: No surplus land is owned by BERR and consequently this Department has no sites registered on the Register of Surplus Public Sector Land.

Departmental Liability

Paul Burstow: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on what dates in each of the last five years his Department informed the House of the creation of contingent liabilities relating to his Department or its non-departmental public bodies.

Patrick McFadden: The dates and details are as follows:
	
		
			  Session  Date  Subject 
			 2007-08 27 October 2008 Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Minute, dated 27 October, concerning a contingent liability in respect of an environmental indemnity to the public-private partnership developing Harwell Science and Innovation Campus 
			 2003-04 19 October 2004 Department of Trade and Industry Minute concerning: a contingent liability to indemnify in the course of their duties the two trustees of the Nuclear Trust appointed by British Energy 
			 2003-04 15 December 2003 Department of Trade and Industry Minute concerning: a proposed contingent liability for Coalpower Ltd. (in Administration)

EU External Trade: Sri Lanka

Paul Burstow: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what requirements apply to third countries under the Generalised System of Preferences plus (GSP plus) programme; and what timetable has been set for the European Commission's investigation of compliance of Sri Lanka with its obligations under GSP plus.

Gareth Thomas: The Generalised System of Preferences plus (GSP plus) scheme is a special incentive scheme granted to countries that are classified as a vulnerable economy and are willing to ratify, implement and adhere to 27 core conventions on human rights, labour rights, environment and good governance. The full list of conventions can be found on page 30.6.2005 of the official journal of the European Union.
	Countries currently receiving GSP plus have had three years to ratify and implement the 27 core conventions, the deadline for this was 31 October 2008. New applicants also had to submit applications by this date but must have also ratified and be effectively implementing all 27 core conventions.
	GSP plus countries are expected to uphold these conventions. Failure to do so results in them being temporarily withdrawn from the scheme and, depending on the seriousness of the breach, can lead to a temporary withdrawal from the Generalised System of Preferences therefore losing all preferential access to the EU.
	For the period 2009 to 2011, to be eligible for GSP plus, a country must meet the following 'vulnerability criteria':
	it has not been classified as a high income country during three consecutive years, and the five largest sections of its GSP-covered exports to the Community represent more than 75 per cent. in value of its total GSP-covered exports; and
	GSP-covered imports into the Community represent less than 1 per cent. in value of the total GSP-covered Community imports.
	Separately, the European Commission announced its GSP plus related investigation of Sri Lanka on the 18 October 2008. The Government of Sri Lanka have four months in which to submit evidence to the investigation team. The investigation could take up to a year.

Home Computing Initiative

Mark Hoban: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate has been made of the cost to the public purse of the tax exemptions provided to employers as part of the home computing initiative.

Stephen Timms: I have been asked to reply.
	The estimated cost to the Exchequer of the tax exemptions provided to employers as part of the home computing initiative was stated in the second table (Cost of Salary Sacrifice for Proposed OptionsOption 1) of the full regulatory impact assessment 'Exemptions for Computers and Mobile Phones'.
	The impact assessment was published in April 2006 on the HM Revenue and Customs website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ria/mobiles-computers-exemptions.htm.

Illegal Broadcasting

James Brokenshire: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  what recent estimate he has made of the loss of income to commercial broadcasters arising from the disruption caused by the activities of illegal broadcasters;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the health and safety risks to the public associated with illegal radio broadcasting.

Ian Pearson: The matter raised is the responsibility of the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers. Accordingly, I have asked the chief executive of Ofcom to reply directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the chief executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Manufacturing Industries

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will meet representatives of the British Made for Quality organisation to discuss their campaign to support British manufacturing.

Ian Pearson: The Government are committed to helping UK manufacturing to get through the current economic downturn. Ministerial colleagues and I regularly meet main industry organisations and trade associations representing manufacturing to discuss their concerns. The Government published their new manufacturing strategy in September which sets out a powerful vision for UK manufacturing in the global economy.

Paternity Pay

Susan Kramer: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of increasing the period for which a father can claim statutory paternity pay from two weeks to  (a) three months,  (b) six months and  (c) nine months, broken down by category of cost.

Patrick McFadden: There are no current plans to extend statutory paternity leave to three, six or nine months and as such we do not have any estimates of the costs that such options may incur.

Post Offices: Closures

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many post office branches were closed in the SS8 and SS7 post code areas between 1987 and 1997.

Patrick McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, managing director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Regional Development Agencies: Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the budget is for each of the regional development agencies for each of the next three years.

Patrick McFadden: Regional Development Agencies' total grant in aid budgets for the next three years are set out in the following table. Please note that budgets for 2009-10 and 2010-11 are indicative allocations.
	
		
			   million 
			Indicative Allocations 
			  RDAs  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 AWM 303 274 235 
			 EEDA 134 132 115 
			 EMDA 164 158 136 
			 LDA 348 383 330 
			 NWDA 388 383 329 
			 ONE 247 243 208 
			 SEEDA 159 161 141 
			 SWRDA 164 156 136 
			 YF 302 297 255

Regional Economic Council

Dai Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what  (a) matters were discussed and  (b) decisions were taken at the first meeting of the Regional Economic Council on 5 November 2008; and if he will (i) post on his Departmental website and (ii) place in the Library a copy of the minutes of the meeting.

Patrick McFadden: A note will be placed in the Libraries of the House and on the BERR and HMT websites following each meeting.

Regional Planning and Development

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussions the Secretary of State has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on his response to the Review of Sub-National Economic Development and Regeneration.

Patrick McFadden: The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) is jointly responsible, with the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG), for implementing the recommendations of the review of sub-national economic development and regeneration (SNR). Ministers and officials in both Departments are in regular contact over progress with its implementation and, in particular, with regard to responding to the consultation 'Prosperous Places: taking forward the review of sub-national economic development and regeneration'.

Schools

Philip Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will place in the Library a copy of materials his Department has distributed to schools in the last three years.

Patrick McFadden: The former DTI, now the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), produced materials on firework safety for use by school teachers. These are available in electronic format to download from our website:
	www.berr.gov.uk/fireworks
	In 2005, the DTI developed resources for schools designed to raise awareness of renewable energy, one for primary schools and two for secondary schools. These are:
	It's only NaturalGeography and Science resources for 5 to 11-year-olds
	It's only NaturalScience resources for 11 to 16-year-olds
	It's only NaturalGeography resources for 11 to 18-year-olds
	These are available in electronic format to download from our website:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/energy/sources/renewables/schools/index.html
	The BERR Publications Unit sends a copy of (or a web link to) all BERR publications to the Libraries of House.

Trade: Montserrat

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the monetary value of trade between Montserrat and the UK was in each of the last five years.

Gareth Thomas: Data on recorded trade in goods with Montserrat are shown in the following table:
	
		
			   million 
			   UK exports of goods to Montserrat  UK imports of goods from Montserrat 
			 2003 2.58 0.06 
			 2004 1.16 0.15 
			 2005 0.79 0.05 
			 2006 0.66 0.12 
			 2007 1.25 0.56 
			  Source: HMRC Overseas Trade Statistics 
		
	
	Data for trade in services with Montserrat are not available.

West Midlands Economic Council

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform by what means the effectiveness of the West Midlands Economic Council will be assessed.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 17 November 2008
	Both individually and as part of the Council of Regional Ministers, recently established by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, a key role for the Regional Minister is to be a voice in Whitehall for their area and make sure central Government knows what the public, the business community and third sector organisations across the country need to get by. Their aim is to ensure that the regions' strategies to tackle the challenges of tougher times are successful by bringing all parties together quickly at a local level to respond to local economic shocks and helping to remove barriers to delivering critical local services and job creation.
	All Regional Ministers have established regional economic bodies (in the West Midlands this is known as the West Midlands Economic Council) bringing together private and public sector representatives to work together effectively to help businesses in the current economic climate and to ensure that their regions are well placed in the medium and long term to prepare for economic upturn. The members are there on a voluntary basis (no cost) and the bodies have no budget or funding. Their role is advisory only. They will also provide a strong voice for the regions and ensure local concerns will be fed into and inform policy at the top level of Government. The Regional Minister will feedback on the work of their regional economic bodies through the Council of Regional Ministers and Regional Economic Council.
	In terms of success measures, these are ad-hoc advisory bodies and it is for the members to judge their success not the Government.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

British Nationality: Prisoners

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK nationals are serving a custodial sentence overseas, broken down by country of detainment.

Gillian Merron: On 30 September 2008, our consular officials were aware of 2,548 British nationals detained overseas. The breakdown by country is shown in the following table. These figures include detainees on remand as well as those serving sentences. We do not maintain separate statistics on the numbers serving sentences.
	
		
			   Number 
			 Albania 3 
			 Algeria 0 
			 Argentina 15 
			 Armenia 0 
			 Australia 282 
			 Austria 4 
			 Azerbaijan 2 
			 Bahrain 5 
			 Bangladesh 8 
			 Barbados 4 
			 Belarus 0 
			 Belgium 18 
			 Belize 0 
			 Bolivia 2 
			 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0 
			 Botswana 1 
			 Brazil 24 
			 British Virgin Islands 0 
			 Brunei 0 
			 Bulgaria 0 
			 Burma 0 
			 Cambodia 0 
			 Cameroon 0 
			 Canada 30 
			 Chile 0 
			 China 34 
			 Colombia 1 
			 Congo (Democratic Rep) 1 
			 Costa Rica 4 
			 Croatia 0 
			 Cuba 0 
			 Cyprus 23 
			 Czech Republic 8 
			 Denmark 2 
			 Dominican Republic 11 
			 Ecuador 7 
			 Egypt 14 
			 Eritrea 0 
			 Estonia 0 
			 Ethiopia 0 
			 Fiji 0 
			 Finland 0 
			 France 126 
			 Gambia 2 
			 Georgia 0 
			 Germany 81 
			 Ghana 10 
			 Greece 17 
			 Guatemala 2 
			 Guyana 8 
			 Hungary 3 
			 Iceland 0 
			 India 21 
			 Indonesia 7 
			 Iran 0 
			 Ireland 88 
			 Israel 1 
			 Italy 25 
			 Jamaica 59 
			 Japan 34 
			 Jerusalem 0 
			 Jordan 0 
			 Kazakhstan 16 
			 Kenya 2 
			 Korea (North) 0 
			 Korea (South) 3 
			 Kuwait 2 
			 Latvia 0 
			 Libya 0 
			 Lithuania 3 
			 Luxembourg 4 
			 Macedonia 0 
			 Malawi 0 
			 Malaysia 6 
			 Malta 12 
			 Mauritius 0 
			 Mexico 15 
			 Moldova 1 
			 Mongolia 13 
			 Mozambique 0 
			 Namibia 3 
			 Nepal 0 
			 Netherlands 38 
			 New Zealand 7 
			 Nicaragua 1 
			 Nigeria 1 
			 Norway 8 
			 Oman 7 
			 Pakistan 22 
			 Panama 7 
			 Papua New Guinea 0 
			 Peru 20 
			 Philippines 21 
			 Poland 0 
			 Portugal 25 
			 Qatar 2 
			 Russia 3 
			 Rwanda 0 
			 St. Lucia 7 
			 Saudi Arabia 5 
			 Senegal 2 
			 Serbia 0 
			 Seychelles 0 
			 Sierra Leone 1 
			 Singapore 6 
			 Slovakia 0 
			 Slovenia 2 
			 Solomon Islands 0 
			 South Africa 18 
			 Spain 296 
			 Sri Lanka 10 
			 Sudan 0 
			 Sweden 14 
			 Switzerland 17 
			 Syria 3 
			 Taiwan 18 
			 Tanzania 0 
			 Thailand 119 
			 Trinidad and Tobago 5 
			 Tunisia 6 
			 Turkey 20 
			 Turkmenistan 0 
			 Uganda 1 
			 United Arab Emirates 44 
			 USA 706 
			 Uruguay 0 
			 Venezuela 12 
			 Vietnam 3 
			 Yemen 1 
			 Zambia 0 
			 Zimbabwe 3 
			 Total 2,548

China Task Force

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times the China Task Force has met since its establishment; who chaired each meeting; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The China Task Force was established in November 2003 and was originally chaired by the then Deputy Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Kingston upon Hull, East (Mr. Prescott). China Task Force meetings took place in February, April and November 2004, July and October 2005, June and September 2006 and February 2007.
	Since August 2007, it has been chaired by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. He chaired his first meeting in September 2007, and then in February 2008. The most recent meeting took place in October 2008 and was chaired by my noble Friend Lord Myners, Financial Services Secretary, on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
	Further information about the China Task Force and its remit can be found on the Cabinet Office website at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/secretariats/foreign_and_defence/china_task_force.aspx

China: Tibet

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether benchmarks have been agreed to assess progress in the Sino-Tibetan dialogue; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: In his written ministerial statement of 29 October 2008,  Official Report, column 30WS, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made clear our interest in various aspects of the Tibetan issue. These include the need for respect for Tibetan culture, language and religion. We believe that the talks on Tibet offer the opportunity to make progress in all of these areas, as well as on wider issues of human rights, including the right to freedom of peaceful expression. We are disappointed that to date the dialogue has failed to make progress on any of this, and we urge both parties to redouble efforts and engage on the substance of the issues.

China: Tibet

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the positive outcomes for the Tibetans which have emerged from the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue since 2003.

Bill Rammell: The UK has raised human rights issues in Tibet with the Chinese authorities at each round of dialogue. The last round of the dialogue, in January 2008, was accompanied by a field trip to Tibet, where the delegation visited Drapchi prison, a police station and a criminal trial, and raised concerns directly with local officials. We have also raised Tibet repeatedly in political discussions, including when my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister spoke by telephone to Premier Wen on 7 November. We have lobbied on a number of individual cases of concern as part of these various discussions, which we judge may have contributed to early releases and sentence reductions. We continue to support small-scale development projects in Tibet through our embassy in Beijing.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Armed Conflict

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of recent activity by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in north-eastern Congo; what assessment he has made of such reports; and what representations he has received on the indictment by the International Criminal Court of four LRA members.

Gillian Merron: Local humanitarian agencies report numerous attacks against the civilian population by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in the territory of Dungu in north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in recent months. The most recent reports include details of an attack on Dungu over the weekend of 1-2 November. The LRA poses an increasingly serious threat to security across the region.
	The UK strongly supports the International Criminal Court and believes that its investigation in Uganda helped bring the LRA to the Juba peace process. Justice is an essential part of sustainable peace and it is vital that those responsible for the terrible crimes committed during the conflict in northern Uganda are held to account.

Departmental Public Relations

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost was of  (a) entertainment,  (b) advertising and promotion and  (c) public relations consultancy to his Department in 2007-08.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not keep a central record of amounts spent on entertainment, and advertising and promotion. The information required to answer this question could be obtained only by requiring individual budget holders in the FCO to examine all invoices for the required years. This could be done only at disproportionate cost.
	Annual expenditure on external consultants is published in the Department's annual reports, copies of which are in the Library of the House. The two most recent annual reports also contain details of expenditure on the top five consultancy suppliers. Expenditure on public relations contracts is not categorised separately, and could not be identified without incurring a disproportionate cost. However, it is not likely to be significant as the vast majority of work undertaken for the FCO by consultants is associated with its major information communication technology and estate construction programmes.
	The FCO is committed to ensuring that all expenditure, including that on entertainment, is incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Departmental Recruitment

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its executive agencies spent on (i) recruitment consultants and (ii) external recruitment advertising to recruit staff in each of the last five financial years; which recruitment consultants were employed for those purposes in each of those years; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The costs of recruitment consultants and external recruitment advertising in each of the last five years are detailed in the following tables. These costs relate to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and FCO Services, a Trading Fund of the FCO which delivers a combination of secure services to the FCO in the UK and at missions overseas.
	
		
			  FCO (Main)  R ecruitment 
			  Financial year  External recruitment advertising costs ()  Recruitment consultants costs ()  Recruitment consultants used 
			 2003-04 348,137 763,675 Capita 
			Hays 
			 
			 2004-05 388,482 314,741 Capita 
			 
			 2005-06 413,525 854,853 Capita 
			Veredus 
			Odgers 
			Whitehead Mann 
			 
			 2006-07 283,289 1,294,359 Barkers 
			Capita 
			Enrich Organisational Development 
			Gloria Goldman Assoc. 
			Martin Stairs Consulting 
			Marcus Powell 
			John Harradence Occ. Psychology 
			Whitehead Mann 
			Russell Reynolds 
			 
			 2007-08 (1)272,038 825,318 Barkers 
			Capita 
			Moloney Search 
			Pearn Kandola 
			Gloria Goldman Assoc. 
			Enrich 
			Positive P 
			Ashridge Consulting 
			Carter Personnel Consulting 
			Dennison Psychology 
			Barclay Simpson 
			Northern Recruitment 
			Odgers 
			Richard Cureton 
			Marcus Powell 
			Harrington Young 
			Tribal 
			Martin Stairs 
			Linbert Spencer 
			Ashborne 
			Taylor Bennett 
			Egon Zehnder International 
			 (1) This includes 70,955 for rebranding of FCO publicity material. 
		
	
	
		
			  FCO Services  R ecruitment 
			  Financial year  External recruitment advertising costs ()  Recruitment consultants costs ()  Recruitment consultants used 
			 2003-04 53,016 17,855 Richard Cureton 
			 
			 2004-05 124,910 42,234 Capita 
			Delancey HR Ltd. 
			Richard Cureton 
			Roger Moss 
			 
			 2005-06 134,124 64,717 Capita 
			Richard Cureton 
			Roger Moss 
			Dennison Psychology Ltd. 
			Market Communications 
			 
			 2006-07 177,070 101,892 Capita 
			Richard Cureton 
			Roger Moss 
			Dennison Psychology Ltd. 
			Whitehead Mann 
			Veredus 
			 
			 2007-08 199,555 328,057 Richard Cureton 
			Delancey HR Ltd. 
			Roger Moss 
			Capita 
			Dennison Psychology Ltd. 
			Barkers 
			Veredus Interim Management 
			TMP Worldwide 
		
	
	FCO Services spend on recruitment consultants is less than that of FCO Recruitment. This is because FCO Services recruitment campaigns are smaller and can be managed mostly in-house, with very little being outsourced.

Diplomatic Service: Languages

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many and what proportion of British diplomatic staff, excluding locally recruited personnel, at each diplomatic mission in a country where English is not the first language are  (a) fluent in the local language and  (b) have received instruction in the local language (i) at a facility of his Department and (iii) at an independent facility.

Gillian Merron: There are 589 jobs held by UK-based staff in overseas missions that require fluency in the local language. We define fluency as either C1 or C2 level proficiency as described by the common European Framework of Reference for Languages (Council of Europe 2000). There are 2,297 UK-based staff serving overseas in 260 missions; those jobs held by UK-based staff that require fluency in the local language therefore make up 26 per cent. of the total.
	Since November 2007 all language training for Foreign and Commonwealth Office UK-based staff is provided by external contractors either in the UK or overseas. 159 officers have been trained to levels C1 and C2 since November 2007.

Eritrea: Arms Trade

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will introduce an arms embargo against Eritrea.

Gillian Merron: In 2007 we approved three export licence applications which covered components for cryptographic equipment and civil body armour for humanitarian purposes.
	All licences are assessed on a case by case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Export Licensing Criteria. This takes into account, inter alia, respect for human rights and the preservation of regional peace, security and stability. If there is a clear risk that the equipment will be used in a manner inconsistent with the criteria, a licence will not be approved. In the light of this we do not see the need for a comprehensive arms embargo against Eritrea.
	Further details on the UK's arms export licensing policy are available at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/europeantrade/strategic-export-control/legislation/index.html

Georgia: Peacekeeping Operations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the progress of the EU monitoring mission in Georgia, with particular regard to EU monitors' access to Abkhazia and South Ossetia; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The 8 September agreement required the EU to deploy at least 200 monitors by 1 October. The UK has provided 19 monitors plus three headquarters staff and four armoured cars to the mission, which now comprises 225 monitors. Monitoring is being focused on troop activity and withdrawal, public order, freedom of movement, and violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.
	The EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM) has been patrolling on a daily basis since 1 October. We receive regular updates on EUMM from headquarters in Tbilisi and via Brussels. The Head of the EU Mission, Hansjorg Haber, is responsible for decisions on where in Georgia monitors should patrol. We understand that a number of monitors have had limited access to South Ossetia and to Abkhazia. Our view is that access to these regions, when security conditions permit, is necessary for the EUMM to fulfil its mandate in full.

Iran: Jews

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the treatment of Jews in Iran; what recent representations he has received on this matter; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Judaism is one of the three minority religions officially recognised under the Iranian constitution. While we do have general concerns about freedom of religion and belief in Iran, we understand that the Jewish community has relatively good relations with the wider Muslim community in Iran. The Iranian Jewish community does face some institutional discrimination, but we do not believe that the community faces systematic persecution. We continue to monitor the situation closely and officials in Tehran and London regularly meet representatives of the Jewish community to discuss the situation of Jewish people in Iran.
	In December 2007 the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution about human rights in Iran. The resolution, co-sponsored by the UK and all other EU member states, acknowledged and expressed concern at the situation of religious and ethnic minorities in Iran. We will continue to make clear to the Iranian authorities that persecution of individuals on the grounds of their religious beliefs is unacceptable and contrary to Iran's international human rights obligations, and that the rights of Iran's religious minorities should be equal to those of all Iranian citizens. We continue to press the Iranian authorities to take seriously their international human rights obligations and uphold the right to freedom of religion and belief as described in article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (to which Iran is a state party).

Iran: Nuclear Power

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has for discussions with the Iranian government on its nuclear programme.

Bill Rammell: There are no plans for discussions between the Government and the Iranian government on Iran's nuclear programme. But the UK is directly involved in the efforts by the E3+3 (UK, US, France, Germany, Russia and China) with the support of Dr Javier Solana, the EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, to persuade Iran to engage on this matter. Dr Solana recently wrote to the Iranian Chief Negotiator Mr Saeed Jalili to suggest that their deputies, Mr Robert Cooper and Mr Ali Bagheri, meet soon to clarify details of the offer that the E3+3 sent to Iran in June this year.

Iran: Prisoners

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the treatment of imprisoned Jews in Iran; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We have not received any specific reports pertaining to Jews in custody in Iran. We do, however, have concerns that torture and ill-treatment is common in many prisons and detention centres, facilitated by prolonged pre-charge detention and denial of access to lawyers and family. We continue to monitor the situation closely and raise any concerns about the treatment of prisoners with the Iranian authorities, both bilaterally and through the EU.

Morocco: Fisheries

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what monitoring his Department is undertaking of the operation of the EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement in respect of fish taken from the waters off the Western Sahara.

Bill Rammell: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not monitor the operation of fishing vessels. However, the Marine and Fisheries Agency monitors the movements of all UK-registered fishing vessels. Vessels fishing off the coast of Morocco and Western Sahara under the EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement report their movements and catches to the Marine and Fisheries Agency. This information is then passed on to the European Commission, who collate the information from all EU member states.

Morocco: Western Sahara

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 6 October 2008,  Official Report, column 228W, on Morocco: Western Sahara, if the Government will take steps to encourage the Government of Morocco to fulfil its obligations under international law to ensure that the indigenous people of the Western Sahara benefit from the extraction of phosphates.

Bill Rammell: The Government continue to encourage the Moroccan Government to ensure that, in line with international law, economic activities under administration, including the extraction and exportation of phosphates, do not adversely affect the interests of the people of Western Sahara. The Government will continue to stress this point when and where appropriate.

Panchen Lama

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps he has taken to establish the whereabouts and health of the Panchen Lama; and if he will press for his release.

Bill Rammell: We have raised the case of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima at the last seven meetings of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue, most recently in January 2008. We have asked for information on his health and whereabouts; supported the recommendation by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child that China should allow an independent expert to visit him; and have pressed for him to enjoy freedom of movement and the freedom to choose his own career. The Government were informed during the dialogue field trip to Tibet in January 2008 that the Panchen Lama was safe and well in his home town. We will continue to raise this case with the Chinese government.

Russia: Georgia

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment the Government has made of Russia's fulfilment of its obligations under the Medvedev-Sarkozy ceasefire plan of 12 August 2008; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: Under the terms of the EU and Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) ceasefire, brokered between President Sarkozy and President Medvedev on 12 August, and a further agreement on 8 September, Russia agreed to a six point plan, which included a commitment to Russian forces withdrawing to their positions prior to the outbreak of hostilities. Russian troops have withdrawn from some areas, but are still present in the Akhalgori region of South Ossetia and the Kodori Gorge area of Abkhazia. Both of these areas had been under Georgian control before the war.
	Therefore, although there has been substantial compliance with the agreements, it is still far from complete and we have called upon Russia to observe the agreements in full.
	The ceasefire plan also included agreement talks on security and stability in South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The first round of these talks took place in Geneva on 15 October under EU chairmanship, with UN and OSCE participation. The next meeting is scheduled for 18 November.

Snatch Land Rovers

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what instructions his Department gave to its staff in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan during 2005 on (i) the use of and (ii) travelling in Snatch Land Rovers; and when those instructions were issued.

Bill Rammell: It is Foreign and Commonwealth Office practice not to comment on provision of security to staff at its posts.

Sri Lanka: Humanitarian Aid

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Sri Lankan Government on its decision to instruct UN agencies and humanitarian non-governmental organisations to leave the Wanni district in September 2008; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Mr. Moore) on 28 October 2008,  Official Report, column 802W.
	Our high commissioner to Sri Lanka continues to raise humanitarian issues at the highest levels of government and to press for increased humanitarian access for essential supplies such as food, medicine and materials for shelters.

Western Sahara: Referendums

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has held with the UN on the proposed referendum of the Saharawi people on the future status of the Western Sahara.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not discussed the question of Western Sahara with the UN Secretary General, but our officials in New York are in regular contact with UN officials. We will continue, through my meetings and those of my officials to discuss this issue with all interested parties.
	The UK Permanent Representative to the UN, met the Head of the Polisario, Mr. Mohammed Abdel Aziz on 3 November and discussed a wide range of issues, including the ongoing negotiations under UN auspices.

Zimbabwe: Politics and Government

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations have been made to the government of Zimbabwe on the treatment of Morgan Tsvangirai by the section of the Zimbabwean government represented by Robert Mugabe.

Gillian Merron: On 13 October, EU Foreign Ministers condemned the unilateral decision by Robert Mugabe to embark on the formation of a new government without the agreement of the other parties to the 15 September agreement. Following the South African Development Community Troika meeting on 27 October, the UN Secretary-General said that he hoped Mr. Mugabe would no longer disappoint the international community. He also encouraged African leaders to take decisive action to end the stalemate.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Children: Maintenance

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the hon. Member for West Lancashire's constituent Ms Helen L. Dunham will  (a) be sent any backdated monies from the Child Support Agency and  (b) have her manual child maintenance payments resumed.

Kitty Ussher: holding answer 21 October 2008
	The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have therefore asked the Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Commissioner for Child Maintenance.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the hon. Member for West Lancashire's constituent Ms Helen L Dunham will (a) be sent any backdated monies from the Child Support Agency and (b) have her manual child maintenance payments resumed.
	As details about individual cases are confidential, I have written to you separately about this case.

Incapacity Benefit

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make an assessment of the role of part-time working in facilitating return to work for incapacity benefit claimants in the principal seaside towns in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: We recognise the importance of part-time working in encouraging incapacity benefits claimants to return to work. The Permitted Work rules allow incapacity benefits customers to try out part-time work as a stepping-stone to moving off benefit and into work. We have made the rules more generous in the employment and support allowance.
	We keep the Permitted Work rules under review, looking for more flexible ways of helping people take up opportunities and increase their options. We have no plans to carry out a specific assessment of seaside towns.

New Deal for 50 Plus

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much the New Deal 50 Plus programme cost to maintain in 2006-07.

Tony McNulty: The information is in the Jobcentre Plus Annual Report and Accounts 2006-07, a copy of which is in the Library.

Pension Credit: Enfield

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many residents of Enfield, North constituency have applied for pension credits since the establishment of the pension credit scheme.

Rosie Winterton: Information on the number of applications for pension credit is not available at the level of constituency. The following table contains the number of households in receipt and individual beneficiaries of pension credit in Enfield, North constituency.
	
		
			  Number of household recipients and individual beneficiaries of pension credit in Enfield, North, 2003-08 
			   Household recipients  Individual beneficiaries 
			 November 2003 3,240 3,930 
			 May 2004 3,620 4,430 
			 May 2005 3,960 4,870 
			 May 2006 4,050 5,010 
			 May 2007 4,090 5,030 
			 May 2008 4,120 5,050 
			  Notes:  1. Caseloads are rounded to the nearest 10.  2. Pension credit was introduced in October 2003, so November data are used for that year.  3. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household.  4. Individual beneficiaries includes both claimants and their partners.   Source:  DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data.

Pensioners

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners there were in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) the UK in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: The available information is in the table.
	
		
			   Number of pensioners 
			  Jarrow parliamentary constituency  
			 November 1999 16,000 
			 May 2000 15,900 
			 November 2000 16,100 
			 May 2001 15,700 
			 November 2001 16,000 
			 May 2002 16,220 
			 August 2002 16,210 
			 November 2002 16,240 
			 February 2003 16,230 
			 May 2003 16,250 
			 August 2003 16,310 
			 November 2003 16,300 
			 February 2004 16,270 
			 May 2004 16,320 
			 August 2004 16,350 
			 November 2004 16,360 
			 February 2005 16,310 
			 May 2005 16,290 
			 August 2005 16,300 
			 November 2005 16,340 
			 February 2006 16,320 
			 May 2006 16,290 
			 August 2006 16,370 
			 November 2006 16,390 
			 February 2007 16,420 
			 May 2007 16,500 
			 August 2007 16,580 
			 November 2007 16,650 
			 February 2008 16,660 
			   
			  South Tyneside local authority  
			 November 1999 31,000 
			 May 2000 30,800 
			 November 2000 31,100 
			 May 2001 30,500 
			 November 2001 30,700 
			 May 2002 30,800 
			 August 2002 30,750 
			 November 2002 30,710 
			 February 2003 30,640 
			 May 2003 30,650 
			 August 2003 30,710 
			 November 2003 30,600 
			 February 2004 30,510 
			 May 2004 30,560 
			 August 2004 30,590 
			 November 2004 30,600 
			 February 2005 30,530 
			 May 2005 30,470 
			 August 2005 30,470 
			 November 2005 30,520 
			 February 2006 30,460 
			 May 2006 30,430 
			 August 2006 30,440 
			 November 2006 30,500 
			 February 2007 30,500 
			 May 2007 30,550 
			 August 2007 30,650 
			 November 2007 30,500 
			 February 2008 30,750 
			   
			  North-east Government office region  
			 November 1999 480,200 
			 May 2000 481,800 
			 November 2000 484,100 
			 May 2001 483,100 
			 November 2001 485,200 
			 May 2002 478,290 
			 August 2002 478,950 
			 November 2002 479,770 
			 February 2003 479,510 
			 May 2003 480,890 
			 August 2003 482,190 
			 November 2003 482,780 
			 February 2004 482,510 
			 May 2004 484,400 
			 August 2004 485,930 
			 November 2004 487,330 
			 February 2005 487,300 
			 May 2005 487,940 
			 August 2005 488,890 
			 November 2005 489,420 
			 February 2006 489,280 
			 May 2006 489,970 
			 August 2006 491,770 
			 November 2006 493,450 
			 February 2007 494,820 
			 May 2007 496,960 
			 August 2007 499,860 
			 November 2007 501,510 
			 February 2008 502,370 
			   
			  Great Britain  
			 November 1999 10,338,400 
			 May 2000 10,337,800 
			 November 2000 10,366,900 
			 May 2001 10,388,200 
			 November 2001 10,441,900 
			 May 2002 11,353,500 
			 August 2002 11,383,960 
			 November 2002 11,414,630 
			 February 2003 11,430,790 
			 May 2003 11,473,090 
			 August 2003 11,515,970 
			 November 2003 11,544,620 
			 February 2004 11,557,870 
			 May 2004 11,620,150 
			 August 2004 11,668,110 
			 November 2004 11,710,580 
			 February 2005 11,726,470 
			 May 2005 11,760,740 
			 August 2005 11,786,580 
			 November 2005 11,804,430 
			 February 2006 11,817,230 
			 May 2006 11,847,970 
			 August 2006 11,896,500 
			 November 2006 11,949,620 
			 February 2007 11,992,450 
			 May 2007 12,053,770 
			 August 2007 12,127,160 
			 November 2007 12,182,270 
			 February 2008 12,216,390 
			  Notes: 1. Figures for November 1999 to November 2001 are rounded to the nearest hundred. 2. Figures for May 2002 to February 2008 are rounded to the nearest 10. Some additional disclosure control has been applied.  3. There is no geographical information until November 1999. 4. For more recent years data exist for both benefit claimed by pensioners and for the pensioners client group from both sample and 100 per cent. data. Figures produced from sample data may differ from those produced from 100 per cent. data due to sample variation. A table of expected variation can be found here http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/state_pension/rp302.pdf (table A1). An additional source of variation is that the WPLS data takes more account of retrospection (ie late changes to the data). The WPLS data are the preferred source to answer queries, however in cases where the required information is unavailable on WPLS data then sample data are used.  Sources: 1. November 1999 to November 2001DWP Information Directorate 5 per cent. sample 2. May 2002 to February 2008DWP Work and Pension Longitudinal Study

Pensioners: Poverty

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioner households were in poverty in Enfield North constituency in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: Poverty is a complex and multidimensional issue and, as such, there are many possible measures of poverty.
	Our public service agreement Tackle poverty and promote greater independence and wellbeing in later life includes a range of indicators related to low income for pensioners. These are relative low income (below 50 and 60 per cent. contemporary median household income), and absolute low income (below 60 per cent. of 1998-99 median income uprated in line with prices), all measured after housing costs have been taken into account.
	The data source does not allow us to provide robust numbers for estimates below the level of Government office region. Information for London on the numbers of pensioners below each of these thresholds is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of pensioners falling below various thresholds of median household income, after housing costs, London 
			  Million 
			   Below 60 per cent. of contemporary median household income  Below 50 per cent. of contemporary median household income  Below 60 per cent. of the 1998-99 median household income uprated in line with prices 
			 1997-98 to 1999-2000 0.3 0.2 0.3 
			 1998-99 to 2000-01 0.3 0.2 0.3 
			 1999-2000 to 2001-02 0.3 0.1 0.2 
			 2000-01 to 2002-03 0.3 0.1 0.2 
			 2001-02 to 2003-04 0.3 0.1 0.1 
			 2002-03 to 2004-05 0.2 0.1 0.1 
			 2003-04 to 2005-06 0.2 0.1 0.1 
			 2004-05 to 2006-07 0.2 0.1 0.1 
			  Notes: 1. Three survey year averages are given as regional single year estimates are subject to volatility. 2. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication 'Households Below Average Income' (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or equivalised) for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 3. The figures are based on OECD equivalisation factors. 4. Figures are based on survey data and as such are subject to a degree of sampling and non-sampling error. 5. Numbers of pensioners in low income households have been rounded to the nearest 100,000 pensioners.

Pensioners: Social Security Benefits

John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps the Government are taking to simplify the process for pensioners to claim benefits to which they are entitled.

Rosie Winterton: We have simplified the claim process to make pension credit easier to claim. Customers no longer need to sign and return their pension credit claim forms, claims can be made entirely over the phone.
	This autumn, we are introducing a measure which will enable claims to housing benefit and council tax benefit made over the phone with pension credit, to be forwarded directly to the local authority without the need for a signaturethis is a significant simplification to the claim process and should benefit thousands of pensioners.
	In February 2007, an additional question was introduced in the pension credit application process to identify relevant caring responsibilities in order to invite the customer, where appropriate, to claim carer's allowance using a new, shortened, claim pack specifically designed for people of pension age.

Pensions: Overseas Residence

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost of up-rating the frozen pensions for retired UK nationals resident abroad who have reached the ages of  (a) 70,  (b) 75 and  (c) 80 years.

Rosie Winterton: The latest estimates for the cost of uprating the UK state pension for all those in the relevant age groups living in frozen-rate countries are in the following table. They relate to the estimated additional cost that would be incurred in 2008-09 were frozen pensions to be uprated to their unfrozen level but without paying arrears.
	
		
			  2008-09 price terms 
			  Age   million 
			 Age 70 and above 430 
			 Age 75 and above 360 
			 Age 80 and above 260 
			  Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 million.  Source: Internal estimates using September 2007 retirement pension administrative data: 5 per cent. sample

Pensions: Payments

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has instructed the Pension Service to write to giro cheque pension recipients telling them that this payment process is to end and that they should seek alternative arrangements; and if he will issue guidance to the Pension Service on future communications to such recipients.

Rosie Winterton: My Department has been writing to customers paid by DWP cheque since 2005.
	We are contacting customers who are currently being paid by cheque so that we can try and arrange to pay their benefit or pension into an account. This is not new, and is all part of the process of modernising the way benefits and pensions are paid. In fact, we have contacted many customers paid by cheque since we phased out order books in 2005. We are also informing customers that we plan to phase out the current cheque system so that we can pay customers in a more secure, efficient and reliable way.
	We have always said that each customer's benefit or pension should be paid into an account if this is possible. This is the most efficient, secure and reliable way of making payments. It can also mean that customers can take advantage of the benefits of banking, such as more choice about where and when they collect their money and the discounts offered when they pay some bills by direct debit.
	The letters currently being sent to cheque customers were agreed by Ministers.

Post Office Card Account

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many people in  (a) Kingston and Surbiton constituency and  (b) the Royal Borough of Kingston have a Post Office Card Account, broken down by local authority ward;
	(2)  how many benefit and pension accounts are paid into a Post Office Card Account in  (a) Kingston and Surbiton constituency,  (b) the Royal Borough of Kingston and  (c) each local authority ward in the Royal Borough of Kingston; and what estimate he has made of the number of claimants in each such area who have more than one account.

Rosie Winterton: Information is not available in the precise format requested.
	The table shows the number of benefit and pension accounts paid into a Post Office card account in  (a) Kingston and Surbiton constituency and  (b) the Royal borough of Kingston and  (c) each council ward in the Royal borough of Kingston.
	Claimants can only have one Post Office card account but can have more than one benefit paid into that account.
	
		
			   All  Other benefit  State pension 
			 Kingston and Surbiton constituency 3,160 1,710 1,450 
			 Royal borough of Kingston 3,970 2,160 1,820 
			 
			  Wards within Royal borough of Kingston
			 Alexandra 190 80 110 
			 Berrylands 300 160 140 
			 Beverley 260 160 110 
			 Canbury 240 160 80 
			 Chessington North and Hook 340 170 180 
			 Chessington South 320 140 180 
			 Coombe Hill 200 100 100 
			 Coombe Vale 200 100 100 
			 Grove 240 160 80 
			 Norbiton 440 290 150 
			 Old Maiden 270 120 150 
			 St. James 220 110 120 
			 St. Marks 140 90 50 
			 Surbiton Hill 150 90 70 
			 Tolworth and Hook Rise 290 160 130 
			 Tudor 160 80 80 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 therefore may not add up due to rounding. 2. Figures refer to payment accounts live and in payment as at 12 April 2008. Claimants with more than one account will be counted for each account. 3. Child benefit is administered by HM Revenue and Customs and war pensions are administered by MOD. These benefits have therefore been excluded.  Source: DWP, Information Directorate

Poverty: Pensioners

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners were living in poverty in Vale of Clwyd constituency in each of the last 16 years.

Rosie Winterton: Poverty is a complex and multidimensional issue and, as such, there are many possible measures of poverty.
	Our public service agreement, 'Tackle Poverty and Promote Greater Independence and Wellbeing in Later Life', includes a range of indicators related to low income for pensioners. These are relative low income (below 50 and 60 per cent. contemporary median household income), and absolute low income (below 60 per cent. of 1998-99 median income uprated in line with prices), all measured after housing costs have been taken into account.
	The data source does not allow us to provide robust numbers for estimates below the level of Government office region. The information that is available for the numbers of pensioners in Wales below each of these thresholds is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of pensioners falling below various thresholds of median household income, after housing costs, Wales 
			  Million 
			   Below 60 per cent. of contemporary median household income  Below 50 per cent. of contemporary median household income  Below 60 per cent. of the 1998-99 median household income uprated in line with prices 
			 1994-95 to 1996-97 0.1 0.1 0.2 
			 1995-96 to 1997-98 0.1 0.1 0.2 
			 1996-97-1998-99 0.1 0.1 0.2 
			 1997-98-1999-2000 0.1 0.1 0.1 
			 1998-99 to 2000-01 0.1 0.1 0.1 
			 1999-2000 to 2001-02 0.1 0.1 0.1 
			 2000-01 to 2002-03 0.1 0.1 0.1 
			 2001-02 to 2003-04 0.1 0.1 0.1 
			 2002-03 to 2004-05 0.1   
			 2003-04 to 2005-06 0.1 0.1 0.1 
			 2004-05 to 2006-07 0.1 0.1 0.1 
			  indicates less than 50,000.   Notes:  1. Three survey year averages are given as regional single year estimates are subject to volatility.  2. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication Households Below Average Income' (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or equivalised) for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living.  3. The figures are based on OECD equivalisation factors.  4. Figures are based on survey data and as such are subject to a degree of sampling and non-sampling error.  5. Numbers of pensioners in low income households have been rounded to the nearest 100,000 pensioners.

Poverty: Pensioners

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of pensioners in pensioner poverty in  (a) Glasgow North West constituency,  (b) Glasgow and  (c) Scotland.

Rosie Winterton: Poverty is a complex and multidimensional issue and, as such, there are many possible measures of poverty.
	Our public service agreement Tackle poverty and promote greater independence and wellbeing in later life includes a range of indicators related to low income for pensioners. These are relative low income (below 50 and 60 per cent. contemporary median household income), and absolute low income (below 60 per cent. of 1998-99 median income uprated in line with prices), all measured after housing costs have been taken into account.
	Latest information for Scotland on the number of pensioners below each of these thresholds is given in the following table. The data source does not allow us to provide robust numbers for estimates below this level.
	
		
			  Number of pensioners falling below various thresholds of median household income, after housing costs, Scotland, 2006-07 
			   Thousand 
			 Below 60 per cent. of contemporary median household income 140 
			 Below 50 per cent. of contemporary median household income 70 
			 Below 60 per cent. of the 1998-99 median household income uprated in line with prices 60 
			  Notes: 1. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or 'equivalised') for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 2. The figures are based on OECD equivalisation factors. 3. Figures are based on survey data and as such are subject to a degree of sampling and non-sampling error. 4. Number of pensioners in low-income households have been rounded to the nearest 10,000 pensioners.  Source: Scottish Households Below Average Income 2006/07.

Social Security Benefits

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what recent steps his Department has taken to encourage the take-up of  (a) carer's allowance,  (b) pension credit,  (c) housing benefit and  (d) council tax benefit;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to achieve a higher level of overall benefits take-up;
	(3)  what steps his Department is taking to achieve a higher level of benefits take-up amongst pensioners.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 3 November 2008
	Addressing pensioner poverty has been one of the Government's key priorities since 1997. The number of pensioners on relative low incomes has fallen from 2.9 million in 1998-99 to 2.1 million in 2006-07 (measured as below the threshold of 60 per cent. of contemporary median income after housing costs).
	Maximising the take-up of benefits is crucial to tackling poverty levels. Since pension credit was introduced in 2003 the number of pensioners on relative low incomes has fallen by around 500,000.
	We are making every effort to ensure that people are aware of and claim their entitlement.
	The pension credit claim process has been simplified to make it easier to claim. Customers no longer need to sign and return their pension credit claim forms, claims can be made entirely over the phone.
	A simplified process has been introduced which will enable claims to housing benefit and council tax benefit made over the phone with pension credit, to be forwarded directly to the local authority without the need for a signaturethis is a significant improvement to the claim process and should benefit thousands of pensioners.
	In February 2007, an additional question was introduced in the pension credit application process to identify relevant caring responsibilities in order to invite the customer, where appropriate, to claim carer's allowance using a new, shortened, claim pack specifically designed for people of pension age.
	The Pension, Disability and Carers Service have Joint Working Partnerships, live or at the implementation stage, with all 203 primary tier local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales. These partnerships enable the Pension Disability and Carers Service, local authorities and the voluntary sector to provide a single point of access to social care and benefit entitlement.
	The Pension, Disability and Carers Service continues to promote the take-up of all pensioner benefits, entitlements and services through a range of marketing activities. Campaign activity in 2008-09 to promote the take-up of pension credit has utilised direct mail, local partnership activity and regional radio, press and outdoor advertising. In order to reach our key audiences more directly we are planning a series of targeted regional campaigns. The activity will promote the take-up of the full range of pensioner benefits and entitlements, focusing on relevant lead messages for the target audiences. DWP are also working closely with other Government Departments to promote campaigns, such as Keep Warm Keep Well and Act On CO2 to promote ways pensioners can save money on fuel bills and apply for grants to assist in energy efficiency measures.
	More widely the Department for Work and Pensions and all its agencies work hard to ensure that a suitable range of information and advice is available on all the benefits it administers (including carer's allowance, pension credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit). The agencies, such as the Pension, Disability and Carers Service, also work closely with external stakeholders, to continuously improve their communication material.

Social Security Benefits: Pensioners

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the monetary value of benefits that have not been claimed by pensioners as a result of the introduction of the three month backdating limit on 6 October 2008.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 10 November 2008
	The information requested is not available.

State Retirement Pensions

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individuals deferred their state pension to the age of 70 years in each of the last 10 years.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not available. Information on the number of people who first received a deferral reward from age 70 is in the table. Figures for 1999 are not available.
	
		
			  12 months to March each year  Number of customers 
			 2008 800 
			 2007 900 
			 2006 1,000 
			 2005 800 
			 2004 1,100 
			 2003 600 
			 2002 700 
			 2001 1,200 
			 2000(1) 800 
			 (1) Figures for 2000 are for six months to March only  Notes: 1. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 100. 2. Numbers are based on a 5 per cent. sample rated in line with the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) total case load, and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation. 3. New rules for deferral came into effect in April 2005 and lump payments became available from April 2006. These data were not available on the datasets until September 2006. A person who deferred their state pension before April 2005 would qualify for increments for the period up to April 2005 and may have a choice of either a lump sum payment or an increment for the period of deferral from April 2005. This means some people may have both an increment and a lump sum payment. 4. The number receiving a 'deferral reward' is the number of people with a lump sum or increments for the latest data and the number of people with increments for the data prior to September 2006. 5. Data regarding increments prior to September 1999 are not sufficiently robust to be released. 6. Age 70 is defined as people who were aged 70 at the point when they first appear on the IFD scan.  Source: Information Directorate (IFD) 5 per cent. sample